


Recognition

by WhirlyBird70



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Because the boys like sharp pointy things, Can be read as platonic if you ignore chapter 5 and just ignore the 3 kisses after that, Car chase or should I say Ostrich Horse Chase, F/M, Fire Nation Occupation, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Lake Logai, Long talks about fire bending kinda, M/M, Made up festivals, Order of the White Lotus, Spirits, Swords and Blades, The Blue Spirit - Freeform, The Revolution, The Serpents Pass Episode, The bois have a plan - is it gonna work is the question, Zhi - Freeform, daichi - Freeform, lmao I need to work at actually writing the romantic part instead of just extreme platonic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-06-17 06:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15455559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhirlyBird70/pseuds/WhirlyBird70
Summary: "You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were."





	1. 1

He had spotted  _him_ while waiting in line for the ferry. The boy, about his own age if just a bit younger, had black hair, twin dao by his side and a swirling sea of a red burn across the left side of his face. He seemed to be traveling with an older man, who carried none of the weapons or scars that the boy did.

But none of that was the first thing that had caught Jet's attention - no, it was the way the boy held himself.

A steady stance, ready to move at any moment, yet relaxed enough as to not put stress on muscles or bones, along with feet in just the right position to gather chi for a bending move. A head held high, with the good side (if there was any) facing away from the older man, watching with an ally on his probable blind side. Hands crossed over his chest, betraying his agitated state. 

And lastly, his  _attitude_.

It was that of a noble, and a high ranking one at that.

But why was a noble dressed as a common poor person, with weapons instead of a guard, on the second least safe route to Ba Sing Se?

Jet had to know.

Once they had their tickets, he tried to find the boy again. Smellerbee seemed suspicious of his behavior, with a stern warning of  _Be good, Jet,_ but seemed to shrug it off eventually.

And besides - Jet  _was_  being good. Just ... wary thats all.

The boy had moved to the other side of the area, to where his ferry presumably was - the same one Jet was to be on, it seemed.

He still hadn't seen all of the boys face, just the old angry burn that seemed to disguise any emotion.

But when the boy turned to say smething angrily to the old man, Jet's breath was taken away in one sharp moment.

_He knew that face._

-

"You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew _exactly_ who you were."

-

In Gaipan, he had amassed a large amount of Fire Nation wanted posters. The faces of criminals, fellow vigilantes, exiled nobles and powerful benders were all committed to memory, in case he ran into them. So he could aid in their attack on the enemy (or take them down if their crimes were too vile).

However, the most striking face he had seen was on the poster in the town of Garsai.

The poster was of a young boy and an a older man. Both had golden eyes, and elegant royal features. The elder wore his gray hair in the traditional hair style of many nobles, long and with a top knot. Next to his painted face was the title  _The Dragon of the West._

He had scoffed at the time, wondering what damage an old man could have done to have earned the name. Then a village guard had told him, and he hadn't slept for a week.

The younger man, or boy rather, had his dark hair pulled into a tall pony tail, with the rest of his head shaved bald. This only served to make the dark scar on his face stand out even more. That very scar, coupled with the intense glare of his pale gold eyes, and the features of his face, made him unforgettable in Jet's mind.

After all, who could forget the face of the scarred, younger version of the Fire Lord?

-

The boy stiffened in front of him and angled himself ever so slightly to face Jet.

 _So the scar did impair his vision,_  Jet noted for later.

"So I just have to wonder,"

-

The boy, Li as he lied to as what his name was, was incredibly skilled with the dao, and with sneaking around.

Odd, for one with Fire to put time into mastering a weapon.

But it worked for them, and soon the teens were passing out meals to the refugees on board.

Jet had already put meals aside for him and his freedom fighters, but he was surprised to note that while Li put one aside for his uncle, he refrained from grabbing a meal for himself until all the other passengers had their food.

Odder, for a noble to actually care for the people around him, much less those not of his country.

"From what I heard," He said, sitting down after Smellerbee stormed off, "People eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

He glanced at Li from the side of his eye, while his attention largely focused on Mushi. Heh. For all the noble walk and attitude, Li still ate like a hungry teenage boy who hadn't had a good meal in a while - fast, and guarded so that no one stole the food.

Jet would know. He was the same. 

Mushi, on the other had, ate slowly, enjoying the food. But that wasn't what Jet wanted to know.  _How do you feel about the wall, old man?_

"It is a magnificent site." The oldest of their group finally answered. _  
_

"So you've been there before?" Jet inquired carefully, trying to sound only curious.

Li stopped eating for a moment, tensing at Jet, and looking with thinly guarded worry at his Uncle. 

"Once. When I was a ... different man." So he believed he had changed, huh?

But.. Jet had too, hadn't he? Months ago he would have lunged for their throats the minute he recognized their faces. But now...

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se- for a new beginning. A second chance," He announced honestly. 

But that didn't mean he wouldn't be wary of these people.

(Because even the Fire Nation, with their unnatural gold eyes and fire( _hate)_ in their hearts, were still people. People, not monsters, that could still hurt. Not monsters. People.  _Human_. 

He knew that now.)

"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." Mushi looked at his nephew, and something in Jet's heart twisted ever so slightly.

That gaze was full of love and hope. And Li, looking down at his bowl with a guilty slouch of his shoulders, didn't seem, to be aware of it.

It had been a long time since anyone looked at Jet that way.

But he had to wonder, how longer had it been that anyone but his Uncle looked at Li like that?

-

He had been suffering from frostbite, his Freedom Fighters save for two had left him, and he was confronting the fact that he might have been  _wrong,_ when they met her.

The Fire Nation woman.

The woman who gave them her own food after seeing them collapsed on the road, and used her own fire to save Jet from the cold destroying his limbs.

He had not accepted her help easily. But she taught them all, that while she was loyal to her Lord, she was still human.

That she had had a child die at the hand of the Ocean-Possessed Avatar,

That she grieved like all of them.

She educated them on the ways of her nation, and of the corrupted heart it hand. 

Of the Banished Prince, and the Insane Princess, blessed with Blue Fire.

Of the wish for peace most of her nation had.

Jet's heart had mellowed at her words. His hate, while not entirely gone, had been soothed. He had learned, and cried for his sins.

(The Fire Nation woman had gathered him into her arms, and gathered his friends in as well, in a way that reminded him of his own mother.

He cried harder.)

-

He waited, watching Li. 

Watching the way he casually rested a hand on his sword. The way he tensed for a blow, mentally and physically.

And then, after a beat, Jet spoke. 

"What's the Prince of the Fire Nation doing on the ferry to Ba Sing Se?"


	2. 2

Jet personally thought that the Prince didn't act very princely, visibly at least.

Oh sure, he had the air of  _I was born for things above this_ about him. He most definitely didn't know how to talk to normal people or properly wear the cheap clothes he had on. And, if you listen closely, you could here the commanding, authoritative  _regal_  tone in his voice behind all the crackly firbender snarl. 

But no prince was this Spirits damn  _awkward._ He didn't seem to understand when any of the girls were making eyes at him, or even some of the boys for that matter. He didn't seem to know hold a conversation for the people he  _didn't_ ignore outright.

It was kind of hilarious to Jet to see him bumbling around like a lost turtleduck in all these social interactions.

However, on a more somber note, the nobles Jet knew didn't have the weight on their shoulders like the Fire Prince did. They didn't genuinely seem to care like he did as well.

And, really the most curious thing thing, was they weren't as paranoid as the guy was.

Really, it was like he expected something to rise out of the floor and attack him at any moment.

Always wary when someone was behind him, never leaving his swords behind unless he was working (but honestly, Jet was the same. But who had ever heard of a Prince or a General, of any nation working in a  _tea shop_  of all places?), and always,  _always,_  seemed to have an eye on the sky.

And on the roof where Jet usually watched him.

-

"So Prince-" Jet said, waltzing in to the two Fire Nation royals' apartment as if he owned the place. Which, with the amount of watching (stalking) he did from the rooftop across from it, he was familiar enough with the place that it almost seemed like he lived there.

But whatever.

He had reason for his stalking!

"Zuko." The Prince spoke from his place at the small table in the corner of the room. The only place that could not be seen from the rooftops.

"What?" Jet exclaimed, startled, completely forgetting the purpose of his visit there.

The Prince sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Jet made his way over to see what he was doing. 

The firebender seemed to be cleaning his twin dao and that odd knife he carried with him. Unnervingly, to Jet at least, there were also several other blades as well that Jet had never noticed the Prince carrying. They seemed to be well made hidden blades, made for throwing and/or assassinations.

Blades meant to be discrete and deadly - and most certainly a purely Fire Nation design.

Especially these ones - he could see the little dark flame on the hilts of the blades.

Jet suppressed his shivers. He had heard of the stealth that the Fire Nation could use when they wanted, how they had trained many specifically in the art of the silent kill.

To kill within the home - to kill  _your countrymen_  inside the home.

He hadn't thought about the stories in a long time,at least sense before the Spirits damned Avatar showed up. They had been some of the sparks to fuel his hate.

_See what they do? They can barely refrain themselves from killing each other! They had to turn their hate, their blood lust on the world to keep themselves from murdering their family!_ He had yelled.

Now though, seeing the weapons clearly on the table, he wondered how much of the stories were true. How much base they truly had in fact instead of myth.

The Prince kept talking. "Zuko - or Li, actually. You never call me by my name, either of them" He paused for breath, then continued, "But you haven't tried to kill or turn us in. You just have been watching us, and barging in on us at work or in the apartment. If your trying to distance yourself, it's not working by the way. You are way to familiar with us at this point." He finished.

"So? Can't give you a nickname?"

The Prince huffed. "Not the way your using it. My face is pretty noticeable." And  _wow_  his tone got bitter fast. "And I have  _gold_  eyes. The Dai Li aren't stupid. They'll piece it together if they keep on hearing you use the word Prince."

Jet mused on his logic. It was sound, if a bit paranoid. Everyone knew the Dai Li didn't care enough about the Lower Ring to watch it.

"So Li," The Prince continued, "Or Zuko. Though Preferably Li. Not Prince."

Jet hummed. "Alright... Li."

The Prince -  _Li-_ gave a small grin that lasted for moment. In the next, it was gone. "Great." He said with all the authoritative tone of a prince. "Now, help me with these." He gestured to the blades and maintenance kit on the table. "I have to clean them before Uncle gets back, or he'll yell at me for carrying so many weapons."

Bewildered by the command, Jet sat down and started cleaning the blade.

(It was nice, simply being there with Li. Even if six months ago he would have never pictured himself sitting on the floor in one of the most secure cities in the world, with the Banished Prince of the most hated nation, cleaning blades so that said Prince didn't get in trouble by his uncle.

Yeah.

It was nice.)

-

Li -  _Prince Zuko_ \- was stiff and rigid after Jet revealed to him his knowledge. It was as if the man had forgotten how to breathe or move in his shock. Jet was about to say something to shock him out of it when the other spoke.

It was in a horrible, my-world-is-falling-part-again-and-maybe-this-time-it's-for-good tone. One that Jet had heard himself speak in many times. It was rough and hardened and  _angry_  with all the might of fire.

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked - no,  _demanded_.

"Why are you going into the city?"

"Same as you. A new chance. Going to hide."

Jet shrugged then. "Then I'm gonna do nothing." He responded casually, leaning against the railing. "I'm going to watch you of course - can't exactly let Fire Nation Royalty run rampant without supervision - but yeah, nothing other than that."

Prince Zuko barked out a laugh. It was sharp and cut Jet straight to the bone. "Yeah right- you're just going to kill us the moment you get a chance." The Prince's grip tightened on dao at his side.

Jet sighed. "I might have, a couple months ago... but people change." He turned, walking away, with a nonchalant air about him. Inside he was screaming. What was he doing? Person or not, this was the heir to the Fire Nation! Turning his back to him, after just revealing that he had the Prince's life in his hands, was the equivalent of putting his head in a 'dillolion's mouth!

But there was no blade or fire put in his back. No imminent death or pain. Just...silence.

Jet glanced back, twirling his grass around in his mouth.

"See you around," He called back. A breath.

" _Prince Zuko_."

-

He told his Freedom Fighters about the two Fire Nation Royalties the moment they found a quiet, secure apartment to rest and talk in.

The discussion went something like this:

"Mushi and Li are actually General Iroh and Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

Cue looks of disbelief and screeching from Longshot and Smellerbee respectively.

It was not disbelief that he had found them out and that they were in the city - no, they trusted Jet to tell them the truth (even if part of him thought he didn't deserve it after the flood-Avatar-waterbender fiasco.) 

No. It was disbelief that he, Jet, hater of the Fire Nation, had let the two men  _go._

Without even a scratch or threat.

After the screeching died down, Longshot spoke.

It was just a single word, but still.

"Why?"

Jet sighed. "I... don't really know. I recognized them while we were waiting for the ferry. I think I figured I could see what their intentions really were? I guess? I figured out I could throw 'em overboard if they were bad."

A few moments passed as they waited for him to recollect his thoughts.

"But then they weren't. I think they really meant what they said on the ferry. That they were looking for a second chance."

He paused again. 

"I think Zuko - Li- the Prince, whatever, is kind of like us. An outcast- y'know?"

He looked at them imploringly, begging them to understand what he meant.

Longshot was impassive as always. But 'Bee...

She was biting her lip nervously. "I-we- believe what your saying. We got that kind of sincerity from them. But there's still a possibility that they could be spies."

"Which is why we're watching them. Zuko knows we are though." Jet admitted.

"What? Why?" Smellerbee exclaimed.

"I told him I know who he was?"

"Why?" There was Longshot again.

Jet didn't have an answer. He could have just watched him to figure out their intentions. He didn't have to confront him, even though it was in his nature.

"I- don't know?"

-

Later, when Mushi came home, and found the both of them sitting on the floor in an amicable silence, watching the sun set of the rooftops, and said happily  _I'm so glad my nephew is making friends!_

Of course, he didn't know that Jet  _knew_  but...

Jet didn't disagree with the statement either.

Not even to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not exactly happy with this? Expect for some parts. I not fond of the part with Smellerbee, or the ferry part, but I like the first part, and the blade part.
> 
> But yeah! 
> 
> Please tell me any mistakes I may have made!
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Whirly


	3. 3

When walking to the apartment where the Fire Nation Royals lived, Jet nearly tripped over himself when he realized he had never actually seen The Prince use his swords. He had just assumed the boy was skilled, but was he really? According to all rumors about the Prince, he was a sub-par imperial firebender so it was possible.

Jet hesiated again in his step.

He had never fought against an Imperial Firebender - they never cared enough about Gaipan to go there. But everyone knew that if one was let loose on the field, you would not make it out. They weren't like foot soldiers, who knew only basic forms and katas. They were powerful, precise and  _deadly._ Well on their way to becoming masters.

And the line of Sozin was known for it's strong, master firebenders. They were not called the line of dragons for nothing.

So think Jet - what if The Prince wasn't a sub-par firebender, just a sub-par one when compared to his family?

And if he was incredibly skilled in firebending- what was his sister like? What was the  _Fire Lord_ like? And did that mean all the stories about his uncle were true?

Jet shook himself.

The thoughts were a bit dark - he hoped he would never have to fairly fight a firebender of that level -  _ever._ Even if it was the one chance to take down the Fire lord.

He was not all there in the head, sure, he knew that, but doing  _that_? That was suicide.

Back on track - was The Prince really skilled? His stance, as Jet had noticed before, and his obvious precision when they were stealing the food on the ferry suggested so, as did the well maintained blades he owned. You didn't just own weapons and keep them on your person and  _not_  know how to use them properly in the kind of war torn world they lived in.

Still... the doubt wiggled in Jet's brain. He should probably find out, just in case he had to really fight him.

At this point, after a month living in the city, he doubted it... but it wouldn't hurt to spar. 

Sides, he hadn't tested his blades against another swordsman in  _ages_ , even against a sub-par one.

It would be... fun.

-

Jet had forgotten to ask Li for a spar. Damnit.

-

It was a month and half into their stay at Ba Sing Se (and wasn't it funny, how he never really thought of this massive, lying, city as home?) when Jet found out the truth about the Dai Li. 

At first he had just though they were just supremely skilled guards, keeping the peace from the shadows instead of the streets, like special forces. (In a way, he was right in the end.)

But it was when he saw a Joo Dee for the first time that he began to understand.

"What in the Spirit's name is wrong with her?" He had asked, startled, to the workers around him. The woman, with her creepy smile and all too fancy clothes, had just taken one of the more shady laborers at the warehouse.

An old man had taken him aside and, in hushed whispers, explained the twisted natures of the Joo Dee. How young woman went missing, then reappeared with the twisted smiles and the name  _Joo Dee_ ,  usually accompanied by a Dai Li. How something was missing, was  _bent_  inside the women. 

How when they showed up and took you away, you weren't the same when you came back.

_If_  you came back that is.

(Jet didn't sleep that night)

He further understood when a man mentioned the war to him, in a passing  _Did you hear about the Fire Navy in the North Pole? They deserved it,_ kind of way (He no longer completely agreed with him at any rate( _the Fire Nation woman's son, an innocent who had rather been a glass worker, had been on the first ship to go down by the Ocean-Possessed Avatar's hand)_ ) and then was dragged off by two silent Dai Li, and their masterful Earth gloves seconds later.

A third Dai Li had come up to him and whispered, in a dark, threatening tone, that  _There is no War in the city of Ba Sing Se_.

(He hadn't slept that night as well, sick to his stomach of the paranoia of  _What if the Dai Li knew that he still talk to his Fighter's (_ Friends _, cause they didn't really fight anymore) about the war,_ and  _Did they know about Li?)_

(He thinks he knows why Li is so paranoid now.)

He finally, absolutely understood the true purpose of the Dai Li when a rabid  _Chōchin_ - _obake_  attacked him as he was passing through an alley way.

(Well, it had more startled him than hurt him, but he had bashed his head against the stone street after the possessed, one eyed lantern demon had scared him into jumping back.)

When he looked up, there was a Dai Li agent, chaining the lantern back and surrounding it with an odd type of white infused rock. Another agent was at his right helping him up.

"Are you alright?" The agent said, eyes surprisingly kind as he check him over.

"Y-yeah." Jet stammered with none of his usual cockiness, trying to shove his fear back down inside him. He knew, logically, that spirits existed - he had met the Avatar after all- but he never really encountered one before, much less have it startle/attack him.

The Dai Li gave him a once over, and deemed him to be telling the truth. He then helped Jet up, and told him to be watchful when he walked at night, that the spirits were getting more restless than usual, and that he should perhaps lay a line of salt at his door, for while the spirit was mostly harmless it had attack  _him._

Jet nodded, and felt strangely alone when they leaped away into the shadows, taking the lantern spirit with them.

(He, once again, did not sleep that night. For now he knew the truth.

The Dai Li did take the bigger jobs of the city, like taking down the truly dangerous criminals, but they also protected the city from itself- from it's demons, spiritual and human-created alike.

They protected them from the War.

_There is no War in Ba Sing Se)_

He showed up the next day at Li's apartment with a bottle of  _sake_ , not missing the way the other boy's eyes immediately swept upward to the one Dai Li agent that Jet noticed had been watching him all day from the rooftops, and let himself in. 

Li didn't ask what happened, just drank the sake with him, until Jet felt that he had suitably forgotten the night enough.

The  _itchiness_ of something watching him made him remember again, but whatever.

(He wondered if the Dai Li were the reason Li watched the rooftops, and not Jet.)

-

"Spar with me," Li told Jet one day, once his shift at the tea shop was over. Jet had been making a habit to walk home with Li, for Li's shift ended an hour after his own at the warehouse did, giving him  _just_  enough time to grab a quick bite to eat and talk with the scarred teen.

Purely for watch purposes, of course.

(He tried to ignore the  _(large)_  part of him that didn't protest that they were friends, and simply enjoyed the time together.)

"What?" The shaggy haired teen asked, startled.

"Spar with me," Li reiterated, a tiny bit of  _crackle_  entering his voice. "There's a warehouse by the dock that will be empty tonight, of most of its crates and all of its people, with plenty of room for sparring."

"Okay," Jet agreed, still a little startled. He had been planning to ask Li to spar with him, but had kept on forgetting each time he went to ask. This was better, but... "Why?" he voiced.

"I haven't actually practiced or fought in almost two months. The most I've been doing is katas in my apartment, and there's not much room there. I've doubt you've been doing much either. " Li paused, and Jet could visibly see him debating his next sentence. Eventually, the scarred-teen seemed to decide to go for it by his next sentence. "And you're the only one I know who is both probably skilled enough and willing enough."

Jet smiled,  _actually smiled_  an actual smiled, not some smirk or pitying grin, and nodded his head. "So what time? And what warehouse?"

"Just meet me at my apartment around sunset, if you're not already there on the roof." Li said with a small laughing smile. "We'll head out too the warehouse after that, I don't know if I'll be able to describe it."

"Why not?" Jet asked, confused. Not that he minded not meeting up at the warehouse!

"Big, brown, partially wooden, and near the docks. Can you find it?" 

_Ah_ Jet thought.

"Ah," Jet said aloud. "I see what you mean." He smiled back at the other teen. "I'll see you later then. Are we doing just swords or...?"

"If you have knives you can bring those as well. And try to dress dark? We don't want to get spotted.. technically it's illegal to be in the warehouses without a permit or job." Li suggested as they finally arrived at the building he lived at.

"Makes sense. See ya Li," Jet turned and walked away with a snappy, sloppy salute, and a smile on his face.

(Thankfully, Smellerbee and Longshot didn't comment on the fact that he told them he would be gone for the better part of the night. To be fair, they probably wanted the apartment to themselves for the night. He didn't miss the looks they sometimes gave each other, all sappy and heart eyed.

He hoped he didn't look like that when he eventually found someone.)

-

The itchy feeling of eyes on him went away for good after about a week. He supposed the Dai Li figured he was safe from any stray spirits and went to go abduct some poor soul to mess with.

He supposed he missed it. Oh, it wasn't the paranoia of something watching him, or the terrifying thought that they would abduct him or find out who Li really was.

No. He missed the warmth that came with the knowledge that someone was watching you, and would  _protect_ you.

He hadn't felt the warmth of that instinctive feeling in a while.

_(Since the Fire that took his home, and the Avatar that took his second one.)_

He guessed he would just have to get used to it.

(And if he dragged both Longshot and Smellerbee that night to eat dinner at the newly popular tea shop that Li worked at - well, no one said anything.

It was nice to be surrounded by friends.

He really should stop denying himself friends.)

-

Li, surprisingly, looked  _good_  in his dark grey outfit. Like,  _really good_. 

Jet tried to stop that train of thought, but it persisted when Li started moving and jumping in that body-hugging outfit.

Jet was just going to stop thinking.

He himself had ditched his bright red and blue outfit, and worn an old grey shirt and trousers he had borrowed from Longshot, with a questionable glance from the archer himself.

He should probably invest in more clothes.

-

It took the better part of an hour for them to get to the docks, and another fifteen minutes for Li to correctly identify the warehouse.

Jet would admit, it had been  _fun_  jumping from rooftop  to rooftop, dodging Dai Li and the odd drunkard, swinging across laundry lines, ducking and rolling through the streets and letting near silent yells and laughter out as they did so.

It had been the most exciting time traveling Jet had had since his time in Gaipan(- _don't think about it don't think about it-)_  and they still had to go back as well.

But first... 

Jet readied his blades as Li did the same, both of their bodies assuming familiar forms.

"No blood, and only stop when the other yields?" Li offered his conditions.

"Or they stay down for more than five seconds. Anywhere in the warehouse is within fighting bounds and can be used to the advantage." Jet clarified further. Li gave a single nod, and tightened his stance.

Jet made the first move, Li's blades blazing up to counter it, and the fight was on.

-

When Jet came home, outfit dirtied and himself bruised, swords just used, but with a big smile on his face, Smellerbee merely shook her head fondly and gave him a smile. Then she directed him to the futon, and told him to sleep.

He did, and while the smile faded as he slept, the ghost of it was still there when he woke up for work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chōchin-obake - paper-lantern ghost, or lantern spook (Source: http://yokai.com/chouchinobake/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dchin-obake ). If one is more knowledgeable in the study of Japanese and Chinese Folklore, and spots any mistakes in the portrayal of any spirits I include in the story, please, please inform me! I want to be as accurate/respectful as possible!
> 
> I'm going with the head-canon that the Dai Li, as well as being the 'elite police force' of Ba Sing Se, they also protect it spiritually.
> 
> Yeah... this chapter ran away from me.... I just started writing... then about halfway through realized the story barely talked about Zuko... so I made it longer... yeah...
> 
> Next Chapter, if I decide to write it, will probably have more Jet-Zuko interaction, as well as more Iroh-Zuko interaction as well.
> 
> Fun fact! I originally wanted Jet to be attacked by a rabid spirit monkey, but I could find no spirits with violent tendencies that resembled one. So, lantern spook it is! 
> 
> Anyway, as always, please tell me if I made any mistakes! And Thank you so much for all the comments! It made my day reading them!  
> Thanks!  
> -Whirly


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am... not happy with this chapter. At least the order of it. I changed a lot of paragraphs around and it still never seemed right. If you have any suggestions as too how I should rework it, they would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Anyway, as always, please tell me any mistakes I've made!
> 
> Thank you for all the kind comments and kudos as well!  
> \- Whirly

(The) Duke, one of their smallest, bravest members, innocent and naive, and all Jet wished he was at that age, had asked Jet one of the hardest questions he had ever encountered in his life.

"What's a home?"

He had been startled then, asking what (The) Duke meant by that. The kid was smart, didn't he know the definition of that?

But then (The) Duke had clarified. "Everyone seems to have it different! 'Bee says it's the people you care about, Pliers says it's where you live, Lyres says it doesn't really exist, and Longshot didn't even answer me!" He had looked up at Jet, eyes big and wide, and continued. "So what's a home?"

Jet truly hadn't thought of it before. Home before had been a farm house with chicken-lizards running rampant in the back, two kind smiles waiting for him with open arms every night, and dirt on his feet and no weapons on his body.

Home now was the trees and his Fighters, and his blades strapped to his back. It was the sound of carefree and strained laughter filtering in through the forest, the swoosh of wind through rustled leaves, and the raging, ever present  _hate_  in his heart.

He hadn't answered (The) Duke then, because home had changed drastically, and what was common between the two? And what would home for (The) Duke be?

He never figured it out, even as he left the forest and (The) Duke's big eyes behind.

(He never figured out what it was for himself either.)

-

Gleaming blades danced before Jet's sight as Li wielded them with deadly precision. He barely moved in time to move his own swords up to counter the blow. He then was able too hook his swords around the blade, and was about to disarm the prince before Li dashed away with quick feet.

This was their third night sparring, and it was quickly becoming the highlight of Jet's weeks. The deadly dance the two entered the moment the fight began was exhilarating, and the music of the clashing metal of their blades made him even more entranced in their spar. 

It was amazing to see the ease in which Li moved, how none of his movements were rough and instead had an insane amount of grace, not expected from the awkward firebender. His steps were fluid and his strikes filled with a elegant power, forceful  and refined.

It was breathtaking, the way the ferocity the firebender usually had was polished into an effortless rhythm.

No - not effortless, it only seemed that way. Li had put as much effort if not more as Jet had in perfecting his art.

_Shlink!_

_Thunk!_

Jet was now reacquainted with the dirt floor of the warehouse, as Li took his lapse in attentions to quickly disarm and subdue him with a kick to the knees and a blade at his throat.

"Yield," Li said simply through his heavy breathing.

"I yield," Jet said passively back, waiting till the blade was removed and sheath before sitting up and speaking. "Oma and Shu Li- who taught you to fight like that?"

Li sat down next to him, and Jet tried to ignore the easily closed, short distance between them. "A master. Who taught you?"

"A guy who knew his basics as well as some advanced moves - I trained myself when he couldn't teach me anymore," Jet confessed. Old Man Jian may have been old, but his mind was still as sharp as his blades, and there was always a spring in his step. Jet had learned much when the man took him under his wing, and was saddened when the man proclaimed he didn't have anything left to teach him and kicked him out. 

Jet suspected he just didn't want Jet to see him die. The man had had a nasty cough the last time Jet saw him, a shuddering, horrible thing that left the man kneeling over.

Jet turned away from his memories as Li hummed in acknowledgement of his answer. "Who was your master?" Jet inquired in the lapse in conversation.

"You might have not heard of him."

"Try me."

"Fine. Master Piandao." Li finally revealed.

Jet's mouth gaped open. Of course he had heard of the man. Fire Nation or not, the swordsman was a  _legend_  and any self-respecting fighter who used any form of a blade heard of him. 

Besides, the man had taken out whole squadrons of the Earth Kingdom's finest benders with only a sword before he disappeared back to his homeland. Anyone who kept up with the news of the war knew of him as well.

 _"Master Piandao?"_  Jet said excitedly, sitting up straighter. "How did you managed to get trained by him? I heard he turns all of his students away!"

Li gave him an unreadable look. "How do you think?"

It took Jet's mind a moment to catch onto the meaning behind his words.  _His father's the Fire Lord, or at least his Grand-father was at the time he was trained. Piandao probably was ordered to train him._ "Oh - duh. Fire Lord." Jet voiced aloud, sounding less impressed by the fact that Li didn't have to work for his apprenticeship.

Li gave him a wry smile. "He didn't like me much at first - I was a bit of a brat." He winced. "I had to fight to get into his good graces, and to make him teach me the dao. I think he liked me near the end." A pause. "I wished I had kept on training with him - I had to learn everything else on my own."

"Why'd you stop?" Jet asked innocently. However, by the new rigidness in Li's posture, it seemed the question wasn't as innocent as it seemed. 

The other shrugged stiffly. "Grand-father died, Uncle went on his 'spiritual journey', Mom disappeared and Father became Fire Lord. I was suddenly the heir." A spiteful laugh slipped from the teens lips. "Heir's to the throne of Fire shouldn't be learning swords. They should be learning  _Fire_ , the superior element, and they should be  _good_  at it. I needed a lot of work." He mocked self-deprecatingly.

Jet was quiet as he watched the other teen. Truth be told, while he payed attention to the enemies of the Fire Nation, as well as their most powerful fighters, he didn't pay attention to their politics beyond  _The Fire Lord is insane and evil._

He didn't really grasp the full effect becoming the heir had on Li- quite frankly he thought he had always been the heir - but he did see that it had taken away something that the boy had cared about.

"That sucks." He offered, then winced at the callous form of comfort. But it seemed to do the trick as Li let out a shallow laugh.

"Yeah, it did." He said breathlessly, then stood up offering a hand to Jet, "You up for another round?"

Jet grinned, taking his hand. "Always."

-

When he was looking for it, Jet noticed a few things about Li that really betrayed his inner fire. His uncle was better at the whole 'hiding that we're Fire Nation' by far, but Li was okay for the most part.

However Jet saw the way he would wake at dawn, no matter what, and how on moonless night's he always seemed more tired. He couldn't ignore how the teen could plunge his hands into the boiling water at the tea shop to scrub dishes, or how he never seemed to burn even on the hottest days of Ba Sing Se. He didn't miss how even his fighting style seemed to automatically jump back to the roots of firebending, incorporating both swords and his element in his attacks, even if no flames actually sprang forth on his blades.

Jet could see the way Li seemed to stare a second too long at every open flame, how his eyes trailed its smoky path and centered on the core of the flame. How his eyes could stare directly into the sun above or the blazing hearth without watering.

His eyes...

The first time Jet had noticed how  _different_  they were, was during a mishap in one of their nightly, weekly spars. 

Jet had snagged the back of his knees with his sword, aiming to make him fall backwards. But, as Li was in the middle of  a step, he fell forward instead of back, and toppled into Jet, banging his head against Jet's as he did so. Both teens flailed to the ground in a graceless tangle, odd for the normally light-footed fighters.

When Jet blinked his eyes open, Li was lying on top of him, staring disorientated into Jet's eyes. 

He noticed then, with startling clarity, how  _gold_  Li's eyes were. They were pale and bright, and  _burning_ with all the spirit of fire. They were like liquid sunshine, sunshine that was deadly and frightening.

They were like  _dragon eyes,_  like how they were described in the stories.

(Jet knew for a fact that he had met no other Fire Nation person with this brilliant gaze. He knew even Li's uncle, and his father too if the paintings were anything to go by, didn't have those eyes.

The eyes of the purest flame.)

The gaze only lasted for a second. The moment Li became aware enough, Li pushed himself off Jet in an embarrassed scramble, pale face flushed a bright red.

Jet had laughed after than, handing Li back his swords and continuing the match.

(His dreams and thoughts that night were filled with the pale gold of dragon-eyes)

-

The spars had become a routine after that first night. Eventually however, they dissolved from spars into nights of simply hanging out. Talking.

It was pleasant to have another boy to talk to. He loved Longshot like a brother and a friend, but the older boy simply  _did not talk_ , not in the near chatter box way Jet did. (He was no where near the level of the avatar though. That kid could talk a mile a minute and still not take a breath for air. )

Li didn't talk that much either, but he was still leagues ahead of Longshot in the conversation department.

Jet would take what he could get

-

He could never tell if Mushi knew that Jet knew what they were.

It was something about his eyes, how they were not-quite-innocent, or they way he would casually mention something like fireflakes, something  _Fire Nation_  around Jet, but never anyone else.

But it was also the way he seemed genuinely happy to see Jet and Smellerbee and Longshot. It was the way he called them his nephew's  _new friends,_ with absolute sincerity. It was the surprise anytime Jet's and Li's hands reached for their weapons, and the way he struggled, occasionally, to look at the outer wall.

The old man was confusing, kind, sincere, and yet had all the biting wit and fiery breaths of a dragon.

He made Jet's head hurt.

- 

"Sometimes," Jet confessed, lying on his back with Li on the roof of their latest sparring place. "I look up and don't see leaves, and I think to myself, this isn't right, and that I'll be waking from this weird dream any moment."

-

-

"Sometimes," Li spoke, staring up at the sky, ignorant of Jet's eyes tracing the lines of his face. "I wake up and the world's not gently rocking, and I think,  _something's wrong._  And then I look outside, and the sun doesn't shine over the waves, or the stars are all wrong and I know that it was never right to begin with.

-

He thinks he knows what home is now.


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the sweet words left in the comments! You guys make me squeal every time I see them.  
> Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I have a plan for the next one as well, as well as a rough outline for the rest of the series.
> 
> To all the Jetko fans who are reading this story.... have fun :)
> 
> To all those who do not like the romantic turn this story has taken, I apologize, but I hope you liked however much of the story you read!
> 
> ...This is the fluffiest writing I have done yet. And it's mostly in chronological order... which unnerves me... not my usual style.
> 
> Anyway! I hope you enjoy the story!  
> -Whirly

Two months in the city.

Two months of not fighting, not  _hating_  the Fire Nation. Of not helping with the war effort.

Two months of being watched from the shadows, and of slowing losing himself to the din and bustle of city life.

Two months of knowing Li.

And one day of  _maybe_  admitting he  _kinda-sorta possibly_ ** _liked_  **the guy. As in  _like_.

You know, how the kids say it. He kinda liked-liked Li - _Zuko_  a lot.

Jet was screwed.

-

He blamed it all on the old man by the docks. He had been the first to mention the festival to Jet.

 _The Festival of Light,_  he had said,  _is one of the few brighter things in the Great City of Ba Sing Se. It's fun, vendors come out and sell street food, and a few benders do tricks in the main square down on West Side. Lanterns light the place up. It's nice. Most guys bring a special little lady friend with 'em- you got any?_  He had said, elbowing Jet with a leering grin.

Jet had almost said yes,picturing dragon eyes surrounded by flicking lantern light.

Then he'd realized his thoughts and blustered out vehement  _No!_  to the old man and made his way out of the streets.

He pushed it out of his thoughts. It was just a festival, a waste of hard earned money, and he didn't have anyone to go with anyway.

-

He couldn't put the idea out of his mind.

Smellerbee and Longshot said they were going. And started leaving hints that Jet should find someone to go with.

And then Jet started seeing the golden eyes in his sleep, dreaming about festival lights and sugary sweets, and being reminded of the date every time he saw a poster for it on the wall.

Spirits, even his rooftop talks with Li reminded him of the festival.

It was like the world was sending a message to him.

-

Paper hit him in the face blown by a gust of wind as he made his way across the street. He tore the paper off then glared at it, anger morphing Jet's features as he took in the poster for the  _Festival of Lights._

He crunched it up, and not caring what any body else thought, screamed up at the sky. "I GET IT ALREADY!"

He made his way to Li's.

-

He lizard-chickened out.

-

He tried again the next day, and backed out again. When had he become such a coward? He had asked out plenty of people before! What was so different about asking Li?

(He ignored the part of him that whispered  _Because its Li. Because you never cared so much what the answer was before. Because you care about him so much more than all the others.)_

Maybe it was because Li could fry his face off, or cut him up if he got offended. Yeah, that was probably it.

(He once again ignored the part of him that muttered  _Katara was well on her to be coming a master bender. She could have frozen you. She **did**  freeze you. And Shang was always better at you than swords._

_That's not why you're nervous.)_

He just had to get up the courage, that was all.

-

He managed to ask the question the next night while helping Li clean the dishes. 

"So Li,"  he started, "You heard about the Festival of Lights goin' on tomorrow?" He probably should have asked sooner. 

But he was unusually unsure about it so he didn't. Whatever.

"Yeah," Li told him, looking up to meet his gaze with those beautiful golden eyes of his. "JIn asked me to go with her."

And Jet's heart was not dropping into the pit of his stomach and shattering into a million pieces it was  _not._ He was fine.  _Perfectly fine._

(No he wasn't. Who was he kidding?) 

"-said no. 'Sides Niu likes her more than I ever will." Li continued

Jet blinked. "What?"  _What?_

Li gave him a look. It was one of those looks that he gave sometimes. Utterly scathing but at the same time full of a  _why-are-you-like-this_ kind of fondness. It was sweet, in a way.

"I told her no. I don't like her that way, and Niu- you know, the aggressively-passive guy who comes in in the evenings when Jin is here- would probably try to kill me if I said yes."

Jet shook his head, letting an affectionate, happy grin grow on his face. "Not everyone's out to kill you, Li."

Li shrugged in that stiffly nonchalant way of his whenever something like that came up. "Yeah, but most of them are. Why were you asking anyway?"

Right.  _Now or never Jet._ "No reason," he started. "I was just wondering if you would like to go with me." Li stared at him, and he rushed to clarify. "Like on a date?"

The plate crashed to the ground and shattered.

 _Oh no,_ Jet thought as he saw Li rush to pick up the plates.  _I ruined it. Now we aren't going to be friends anymore, and he'll never talk to me again, and if he does it'll be-_

"Jet."

 _-awkward, and Smellerbee's going to yell at me, and Longshot's going to be disappointed and Mushi's going to give that_ look  _and-_

"Jet."

_-Spirits, I've just lost him I'm an idiot, a selfish idiot why am I like this, good going Jet you ruined a perfectly good thing dammit-_

"JET!"

-

Jet first realized he was attracted to Li on that first rooftop run, when the black outfit hugged his body in ways Jet did  _not_ want to think about.

He realized it again when Li had tumbled on top of him and looked at him with those  _gorgeous_ dragon eyes of his

However, when he had the sudden epiphany that he didn't just think Li was hot (pun intended) but he actually  _liked him,_  in the way little kids call  _like-like,_ was on an abnormally rainy day in the city.

Jet and Li , instead of taking their usual stroll to the apartment, had ran, laughing through the rain as their clothes got soaked, and splashing in every puddle they could find. 

It had started out innocent enough. They had dashed from store front to store front, using the cover's as shelter from the rain, when Li had stumbled into Jet, forcing him into a puddle. 

At Li's shocked face, Jet's only reaction was "Oh, it is  _on,"_ and promptly  shoving him into a puddle and splashing him back.

Li retaliated in true Firebender attacking form,, and soon they were running through the streets, droplets of water blinding them as they splish-sploshed through every small pool of water big enough to create a splash.

When they got back to Li's apartment they were thoroughly soaked, both of their wet hair and clothes pressed flat against them. They were still laughing, giggling hysterically as they slid down the wall together, out of breath.

And that, that was the moment Jet made the mistake of looking at Li and fell. 

Dirty, wet and covered in tea stains, with the most horrible scar Jet had ever seen plastered across his face, sweaty and panting, and, by all accounts to everyone else, unbecoming and not attractive, Li-  _Zuko-_ was stunning. His laugh was music to Jet's ears and his smile a work of art.

A surge of fondness welled up in Jet's heart, a tenderness he had not felt in well- actually never.

Never before had he felt like that.

A, on all accounts, dopey, love-filled smile formed on Jets face as he stared at Li.

Eventually, Li noticed he had stopped laughing and looked worriedly at him "Jet? You okay?" He asked, concerned.

Jet mentally shook himself and reshaped his features into something less adoring-puppy like. "Yeah, I'm good."

He was really not.

In fact, as so adequately put before, Jet was screwed.

He liked-liked the  _Prince of the Fire Nation._

A lot. 

Some how it didn't feel like a bad thing.

-

"What?" Jet snapped out of his despairing thoughts as Li's shout finally went through.

Li smiled at him, happy and excited, in the way you don't stare at the person who just ruined your friendship. "I'd love to."

"What?" Jet repeated, not believing his words.

Li's face quickly soured. "Is that all you can say? I said yes, Jet. Yes I will go to the Festival with you on a date, and I will kiss you under the lights and I will laugh and joke with you at it, and -"Li promptly shut up after the ramblings that Jet did not say spilled out of his mouth.

It took a depressingly long few seconds for Jet to put two and two together. "Were you going to ask me out?!"

Li blushed. "I was thinking about it."

Jet grinned. "That's adorable."

Li raised an eye brow at him as he put the shattered plates away. "You're the one who actually asked me - then proceeded to have a mini-freak out about it."

"Still." Jet nudged him, and they both fell into a little fit of laughing.

After a moment, Jet spoke up again. "So, I'll meet you after work here, and then we can head out?" 

"Sounds good." Li smiled, and maybe- Jet wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not- leaned into him, relaxed and happy.

Another dopey grin spread over his face, but it was quickly destroyed by the shout of Pao, Li's boss, from the entrance to the kitchen where the two were. "Li! Get back to work! And  _you,"_ He pointed a gnarled, tea-stained finger at Jet. "Unless you're paying or want to work here, get out of my tea-shop!"

Jet gave a sharp snort and replied. "I'm leaving old man, relax." As the man turned away with a doubting glare, Li and Jet both snorted. 

However, Jet didn't want to earn the ire of the man - he wouldn't have an easy time visiting Li if he did. So, with a regretful smile he turned to Li.

"Alright I got to go according to him. I'll see you tomorrow then Li?" He reaffirmed with the slightly shorter teen.

There was a pause before Li finally answered. "Zuko."

"What?" That wasn't what Jet had asked.

"Zuko," Li restated. "If we're going to make this work, when we're out of prying ears, call me Zuko. I need to know you like all of me - not just  _Li._ " He said, with such disgust, such distress, that Jet couldn't understand how he had never heard it before.

(Had the boy in front of him been drowning in the city, under this new identity, just as Jet had been drowning under his hate? A force that was truly  _not_ him, but a masquerading face, tricking him into believing that this was who he was?)

Jet already knew his answer. Putting a crooked finger under the scarred teens chin, he tilted his face up so that he was looking straight at Jet. "I like every part of you," He told Li- _Zuko, "_ Even the sparky bits." Zuko smiled, a brilliant thing as all the doubt in his eyes seemed to be chased away. Jet abruptly dropped his hand, suddenly aware of how intimate the touch had been. "So I'll see you tomorrow then, Zuko?"

Spirits, saying his true name felt wonderful. 

It seemed to feel that way to Zuko as well, judging from the brightening of his smile. "Yeah. See you then, Jet."

The shaggy haired teen smiled, and, in a dash of impulsiveness, dipped down and pressed a quick, chaste kiss to Zuko's cheek.

"Bye!" He said after, turning on his heel, slow enough as to catch the bright red of Zuko's face.

He could still hear Zuko's embarrassed spluttering of  _"Jet!"_  as he walked out the door.

Jet was screwed.

But he couldn't care less. 

- 

Okay, maybe he did care. Was he suppose to wear something nice? How much money should he bring? Should he style his hair? Spirits, what did he do on his last dates?

Well, his last dates had been pretty bunch swinging his date through the trees, and they hadn't really gone anywhere after that... 

Oh  _whatever_. He was fine as he was.

Jet threw on a clean shirt and took of some of his armor. He kept his hook-swords though (he knew Zuko would be wearing his dao as well. Might as well match. (Besides, the both of them were too paranoid to go anywhere without a means of defense( _attack)_  on them.)) Jet looked in the one small mirror they had in the small apartment. He looked nice- right?

Smellerbee and Longshot walked in, and over to the door. They, like Jet, had chosen to forgo most of their armor but keep their weapons. Smellerbee had even taken off her warpaint and put her hair up. 

"Hey Jet, you look nice." She said, notcing Jet's attire. "Are you going to the festival?"

Oh that's right- he hadn't told them he was going with Zuko, had he? "Yeah," Jet said to her, "I'm going with Zu-Li. I'm going with Li."

Smellerbee and Longshot bother paused, staring at him, before giving twin grins. "About time." She annouced. "See you there then!" Jet waved as the two headed out.

He could do this.

(Yeah, right.)

-

Zuko was a dork, and Jet forgot why he was worried in the first place.

"Shut up," The scarred teen told him grumpily as Jet laughed at his slicked back hair. "My uncle did it, not me."

"Well it looks stupid," Jet said, ruffling his hair.

"Hey! I had to sit for an hour so my uncle could do it!" Zuko swatted at his hands. After a few more ill-concealed snorts, Jet grabbed his hand. "Where to?" Zuko asked, face blushing.

"Follow me," Jet only grinned, leading him promptly to the alley. There, he let go of Zuko's hand and scrambled up onto the roof, trusting Zuko to follow. Once the other was up, he started running and jumping across, Zuko keeping up even in his typical Earth Kingdom robes. "This way we can avoid the crowds," he grinned at the other.

Eventually they arrived at the lantern filled square, and slid down the drain pipes to the ground, Jet taking Zuko's hand in his. 

"Wow," Zuko breathed out, and Jet couldn't help but agree. The square, usually drab and depressing, had been transformed over the course of the day. Colorful decorations hung from the walls, and vendors lined the streets. People were laughing, smiling, and throwing up colorful ribbons above their heads, and holding lanterns on sticks in their hands.

Jet couldn't help but twitch at the sight of the paper lanterns, remembering his own encounter with the lantern spook not too long ago. However, he could appreciate how  _beautiful_  they were, strung across the streets and floating in the air. They were even on the water in the fountain.

"Come on!' Zuko said excitedly, pulling on Jet's arm. "Let's go check out the stalls." And Jet followed.

-

The rest of the night was a mix of blurs and crystal clear moments.

He could recall, however, the floating lanterns and Zuko's laugh. He could recall the slight heat Zuko's hand had given off, and the warmth of his lips against Jet's. He remembered the spice of the food that his date had declared no spicy enough, and the dance they shared in the square, each of them fighting for the lead as was their fashion.

Most clearly of all, he remember the reflection of the golden lights of the lanterns against Zuko's pale eyes. 

(When he went to bed that night, he no longer shoved the dreams of handsome gorgeous eyed firebenders away.)

-

Dating Zuko wasn't much different from being friends with Li. They still had their warehouse spars and rooftops runs, and Jet still walked Zuko home after work each day. They still snickered with each other and had talks about  _home_  and  _family_  and other sappy things while lying on their backs staring at the starry skies.

The only difference was in between all of that was kisses, hugs, cuddling, and mix of all that which Pao liked to call 'canoodling'

As in  _"Stop canoodling with my worker you street rat!"_

It was a good thing, what they had between them. And you had told Jet, sixth months ago, that the Prince of the  _Fire Nation_  was his grumpy boyfriend who only seemed to laugh when Jet prodded it out of him, he would never had believed it.

But now, as he kissed Zuko goodnight, he knew he wouldn't trade it for anything. 

-

(But of course, all good things have to end eventually.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:)  
> -Whirly
> 
> (P.S. I will be gone and without wifi for at least ten days after Friday, so there will be no updates from me in that time. However, I will be writing!! So I will be updating once I get back. I may update tomorrow if I find the time to write however. Sorry for the wait!)


	6. 6

Of course, as with all good things, it had to end eventually. Walls did not stand forever and War never let her soldiers go so far out of reach. Jet only wished he hadn't been waiting for the moment to happen.

Of course, he could never have suspected that _this_  was how it was going to end.

-

The end of the ( _his_ ) world started with the fluttering sound of paper in the wind.

Jet was walking back to his apartment after a long morning stacking boxes at the docs. He was looking forward to having lunch with Zuko, when the fluttering noise occurred. Right after, a poster caught the side of his head. It was on reflex Jet grabbed it, already grumbling about how papers always hit his face.

However, when he glanced over the paper, his heart stuttered to a stop in his chest.

_No. No no no nononono-_

He ran all the way back home, not pausing for a single second.

 _Oh, why did_ **they** _have to come_ **here** _of all places?_

_-_

The contents of the paper bothered him for days. Smellerbee and Longshot noticed his antsy behavior, as did Zuko _._ Spirits, even Mushi noticed!

The poster burned a hole under his futon whenever he thought about it.

He had to get _them_  out of the City before Zuko caught word of it and left Jet and went back to the Fire Nation and that horrible father of his. 

He had to.

For Zuko.

-

Zuko told him about his scar about a week after they started dating. The conversation was held on the roofs, like most of their soul-searching, important conversations were - under the light of the stars and surrounded by the soft glow of the city lanterns.

(With the occasional watchful Dai Li, of course ,when they weren’t careful on their way to the building. Jet was sure they all knew that he and Zuko trained in the warehouses at this point – he was honestly surprised they hadn’t been stopped already.)

The prince was regaling him (well perhaps not regaling, he tended to be short and concise, sticking with facts rather than truly telling the story _(hadn’t he had a father or mother who told him stories? (no of course not))_ ) of a fight he had in the Western mountains which had left a nasty scar on his left hip, when Jet's big mouth let the words fly.

"How'd you get the Scar?" Jet blurted out.

The temperature dropped as silence rang in all its awkward glory between them. There was no question on which scar Jet was referring to.

But Zuko questioned him anyway. "What do you mean?"

Jet reached a hand forward, grabbing Zuko's hand and pulling it into his lap to play with his fingers. "You know what I mean. You don't have to tell me if you are not comfortable with it." He assured him, hoping he hadn't messed up

The silence remained for a few more moments, before Zuko broke it.

"It was my father."

-

Four days passed before Jet finally did something about the damned piece of inked paper.

That night he snuck out into the underbelly of the city, searching for any information he could find. It took a few punches, but he finally got what he was looking for. After that he made his way to the Upper Ring and to the address on the paper.

Hopefully they would listen.

If not, Jet would force them to.

For Zuko.

He looked down at the paper one last time, assuring himself he had the right address, gaze lingering on the painted flying sky bison at the top, and the tattooed kid at the bottom.

(How in the Spirits name had they managed to lose _Appa?_ He was a ten-ton flying wooly beast that was thought to have been extinct for a thousand years! People noticed things like that! _)_

_-_

To be honest, he should have expected to have been frozen to a wall the minute they saw who he was.

Still, against all odds, he was a bit surprised.

"Hey! What was that for!"

Katara snorted at him, condescendingly and full of hate. "You know what it's for you backstabbing Mink-Snake!"

"What are you doing here anyway?" Sokka said, poking his face.

"Back off!" Jet snapped at the finger digging into his cheek. "I'm here because I think I have something you might want to know."

"We don't want anything from you. Leave." Aang waved his staff into his face.

Jet smirked, reveling in the information he could hold above their heads that would finally get people to back the _hell_ off. "Even if it's about Appa?"

All fingers and staffs were promptly removed from his face.

-

Spirits were not human creatures. They did not abide by the rules of the corporal world, and were bound by the unknown rules of their own.

They also, apparently, had a fondness for messing with Zuko's life. This was a fact that Jet found out just after they started dating, when Zuko regaled him with stories from his adventures around the world.

(A flying purple squirrel. From the Spirit World. Really?

My Uncle still has a patch of fur from when he tried to grab it off of the sailor’s back.

Wow.

Yeah. It was a wild few nights.)

He should have known Zuko knew about the Avatar. In fact, he should have counted upon the fact that a poster had landed directly in his hands, just the same as it had Jet. 

A message, from the Spirits, cackling over the mess they had made.

Instead, however, he was completely taken by surprise when after a long day of showing the Avatar and his friends the last known locations where Appa had been seen, with no sign of the real big beast at all, he was slammed up against the wall by a fiery teen dressed in black.

_"Why?"_

_Oooh,_ he sounded _mad_. And was his voice crackling? Like logs in a fire?

" _Why?!_ Why were you with the Avatar today? Why didn't you tell me?"

-

The world seemed to freeze as Jet let out a choked noise. His father? Zuko's _father_ gave him that scar?

His boyfriend was still talking.

"I spoke out of turn at a war meeting, disrespecting the Fire Lord's authority."

 _No_...

"I was challenged to an Agni Kai. I thought I could win, because it was supposed to be an older general." His voice cracked, showing repressed emotions.

_No._

Softly, he continued. "It was my father. I begged for mercy, and my father burned me for my cowardice and took away my honor."

_No!_

Jet's hand gripped Zuko's even tighter, wishing for all his might it wasn't true. _His father..._

Zuko brightened. "But if I capture the Avatar and bring him back to the Fire Nation, my father will restore my honor and birthright! And I know he exists. If I can just manage to grab him, I can return home and stop this war."

Jet froze, plastering a fake smile on his face, as Zuko gave him a soft grin, tears shining in the corner on his eyes. Unable to resist, Jet pulled him in for a hug and kiss, all the while making a silent vow.

He could _not_  under _any_  circumstances, let Zuko go back.

Even if it tore them apart.

(Because if he left, then he would be back with an abusive father and crazy sister. He would back in the Fire Nation, where it was kill or be killed, and the Avatar would be lost to the world.)

_(But deep down, he knew the real reason was that Zuko will leave him behind. Forgotten - just another dirty Earth Kingdom rebel._

_He won't lose another loved one. He_ **won't**.)

-

Jet glared at Zuko, trying to put all the care he had for the other into his eyes as he bit back "Because you would react like this!"

"So?"

"So what?"

"It's the Avatar!"

"Which is exactly why I can't let you near him!"

"Why?"

"You know why!"

Silence.

-

Memories follow him, bathed in red fire and solid, dusty earth

_Come on Son, you almost got it-_

_Jet, hun, clean up before dinner. -_

_(Smoke. Smoke and Fire. Crackling woods and hot ashes underfoot._

_Mom? Dad? Where are you?_

_Are you there?)_

_Hey, you wanna play with us?  You can be the leader!_

_(Shouting voices, crackling like the bonfire (the house) outside, speaking in commanding tones and foreign words._

_Little feet leaving footprints in the ashes, as a voice cracked steaming out._

_"MOM! DAD!"_

_Ashes flying up, smoking filling his lungs._

_"Mo-OM D-DAD!")_

_We love you. Never forget that._

_(We promise we'll never leave you.)_

_We'll be called the Freedom Fighters. And we'll take back what’s ours! A-and we'll never stop until the Fire Nation is gone!_

_("They left, Jet. They didn't want to be freedom fighters anymore.")_

_(Don't leave)_

_Cold-cold-cold-cold-_

Warmth

( _An old woman, clothed in red, with stories of a land of people who live (and die) like dragons, with a tyrant for a Lord, and a lunatic for an heir.)_

_They **left**._

_-_

Zuko loosened his fingers from where they curled in Jet's clothing.

"No." He said. "I don't. Tell me."

The tone held no room for argument, yet Jet held his tongue anyway. Zuko, quite typically, flared up in anger.

"Fine!" He shouted, and turn on his heel and left. 

Jet started after him, but Zuko held up a hand. "Leave me alone!"

(And, at that moment, standing in the dark as the sky started to drizzle down on him, he never felt so alone.)

-

Five days.

Jet hadn't seen Zuko in _five days,_ and the last words between him and his boyfriend were angry ones and _oh Oma and Shu what if Zuko wasn't his boyfriend anymore ohSpiritsohSpiritsohSpi-_

Jet hadn't seen Zuko in five days and it was safe to say that he _may_  have been losing his mind about it, just a bit.

Okay, a lot, but could you blame him?

(Zuko could be hurt, kidnapped, dead for all Jet knew- he was the banished _Prince_ of the most hated nation in the world. He had no allies save for Jet and his Uncle, and even then, the Spirits were set against him.

Zuko was definitely hurt, kidnapped, dead or worse, Jet knew it.)

(But- Zuko had always done what the world deemed impossible or improbable. Perhaps there was hope?)

It was the afternoon on the fifth day when he finally snapped.

"That's it," he announced to an empty apartment, as Longshot and Smellerbee were out working, "I'm going after him. Damn his wish to be alo-" Jet stopped in the middle of his thoughts as he opened his door to none other than-

"ZUKO?!"

And promptly received an armful of unconscious, black clothed Firebender who had an extremely familiar mask in his limp hand.

-

A while ago, Jet had seen one of the most intriguing Wanted Posters (besides the one of the Prince, of course) in his life while passing through a town for supplies.

The ink was faded and the paper old and yellowed, yet the striking features of the face upon it was incredible.

For it was not a human face, but the face of a Spirit.

The Spirit of the Stolen Deaths.

The Blue Spirit.

Jet had shivered then, remembering the Spirit whose tales were often dark and demising.

The Spirit of the Stolen Deaths lurked in the lands of Fire and Earth alone, where ruling powers took out those beneath them through tricks and deception, through knives and mercenaries, and hidden pit traps and flaming fists. His job was to take the lives of those caught in the noose of the treachery of nobility and deliver them to the afterlife. 

He was a powerful Spirit, perhaps not as great as Oma and Shu, or Tui and La, but not one to be crossed all the same.

And yet here a poster was, claiming one wore his face to steal from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom alike and _not_ to respect his deeds in theater.

Jet could admire that - it took guts to steal the Avatar from under a Commander's nose, from Pouhai Stronghold no less - but he also glowered at the man behind the mask, the man who stole from the innocent people of Earth.

( _Blood spattering on the ground, yells of strangled pain as Earth crushed lungs and skin beneath solid rock, the gasp of agony and the laughs of cruel_ earthly  _voices -)_

(Earth wasn't so innocent after all.)

He could never figure out how he felt about the guy, and eventually forgot about the man who dared steal the face of the Spirit of the Stolen Deaths when said man stopped showing up in the reports.

-

After three whole minutes of panic, Jet finally pulled himself together to realize that _yes_  Zuko was alive and _yes,_  he was unharmed just unconscious and probably sick and _yes-_ that was _the mask of the Spirit of the Stolen Deaths_  that had fell from Zuko's hands and _yes_ , the Dao blades on the boy’s back  that he had seen him fight with so often were indeed the signature weapon of the man who dared steal from the Blue Spirit himself.

Oh Spirits.

Jet was dating the Blue Spirit

_What the fu-_

-

Three hours after Jet found Zuko ( _The Blue Spirit, Zuko was the Blue Spirit and certifiably_ **insane** ) at his door, his tiny, shared apartment was filled with two fire benders - one unconscious and in evident pain, and the other filled with enough power to be a Dragon.

( _The Dragon of West, killer of thousands of men, former heir to the Fire Nation-_

Uncle Mushi, guardian of a boy whose family and nation and world _hates_ him.)

"What caused this?" Jet asked the man, who had showed up several minutes ago, with a pot of tea and a demand to see his nephew.

Jet didn't question how he knew his nephew was here.

"Well," Mushi started, "This isn't easy to hear, but it was you."

"What?!" How in the world was that even possible?

"My nephew, Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the Dragon Throne of Sozin's reign, chose _you_ over all else - even his one chance at going back home. This caused serious repercussions within his very soul- _his spirit._ ".l

"What do you mean?" If Jet was confused before, he was even more now.

Mushi closed his eyes and sighed. The old man then set down the steaming cup of tea in his hands onto the floor and breathed in and out in slow measured paces. 

Jet waited tensely for him to speak, hand fiddling with Zuko's limp one as he sat in the silence.

In a flash, Mushi opened his eyes.

"Five days ago, you and my nephew had a fight about the fact that you did not tell him that the Avatar was within the city, and that you went out to aid the Avatar in his friends in the search for their lost Sky Bison. Then, Zuko cut off contact with you and disappeared for five days, before reappearing here." Mushi took another breath, seemingly steeling himself for the words to come next.

Jet, instinctively, did the same.

"In those five days, my nephew scoured every part of this city. He searched through its dirty underworld, and deceivingly glistening upper ranks, until he happened upon the location of the beast through a Dai Li agent whom he successfully intimidated into confessing where it was."

Had Jet mentioned his boyfriend (was he still his boyfriend? He had to figure that out.) was kind of scary? Intimidating a Dai Li agent? Who could do that?

Zuko could.

_(Could the rest of his family?)_

_(What a silly question.)_

Mushi was still talking. 

"After finding the location, he dropped the Dai Li agent off at the Avatar's household, and headed to Lake Logai. There he followed another agent in, and set out to free the Bison. By that point, the Dai Li agent had confessed to the Avatar and his friends as to where the Bison was. By the time the Bison was out of his chains, the Avatar was there to continue the rescue while Zuko slipped away."

Jet stared at him, tightening his grip on the fingers in his hand when Zuko murmured in pain. "But why?" He questioned. "He could have captured the Avatar then, and returned to the Fire Nation like he wanted to."

His voice _did not_ crack there, _it did not,_ and _no_ it was _not_ tears in his eyes, the neighbors were cutting onions that was all.

Mushi picked up his tea again, and took a long, thoughtful sip. "For you. He let the Avatar go because he did not want to leave you, and returning home would mean that. For the first time in his life he was truly  _happy._ He had what he alone wanted, and could be himself around you. He could just be-"

"Zuko." Jet finished softly.

Mushi smiled. "Yes."

He understood now. Zuko was like this because...

Actually, wait, no.

He didn't understand anything.

"But what does that have to do with how sick he is?"

Mushi paused, as if he had forgotten that that was the original question in the first place. "Ah. The illness my nephew is suffering from is not so much a physical illness as a spiritual one with physical effects." He took another sip of his tea, before setting it down and putting another wet cloth on Zuko's burning forehead. "In choosing you over the thing he has very recently seen as his sole goal in life, he has thrown his soul into turmoil. It has to do with our inner fire you see."

"Inner... fire?" Zuko had never mentioned that.

"I suppose you, one of Earth, and non bender as well, would have never heard of it. It is the fuel of life that burns in souls forged of Fire. It gives us our extreme determination and conviction. By going against what we think is right, that flame is doused and weakened, and therefore the soul is weakened as well. Zuko chose _you_  over the Avatar and his homeland."

Jet froze. "If his soul is weakened..."

"He may not survive, yes. No normal person would. But this is my nephew, and he has braved the impossible before and survived. I know he would pull through."

Mushi smiled, and Jet smiled back.

( _His father had been said to have braved the impossible as well, climbing the tallest mountains without the reliable support of Earth and its benders and always capturing the most dangerous beasts for dinner._

 _He was dead now_.)

-

Zuko had woken twice in the time Jet had watched over him. Once, when Jet and Mushi had transported him to Mushi’s apartment, where he would be more comfortable and then again when Mushi shook him awake to eat and drink.

And now, he was awake a third time, clutching his face and screaming, while Jet was frozen in his place.

_(...It was my father. I begged for mercy, and my father burned me for my cowardice and took away my honor...)_

Mushi was out buying supplies, Longshot and Smellerbee had only dropped in once, Jet was all alone with his screaming boyfriend, frozen and unable to help.

"I'm sorry! Father! Please!" Zuko's wretched voice shot out, slightly muffled from where his hands covered his tear covered face.

That scream, that broke shout of _Father,_ was what finally spurred Jet into moving. He shot forward and pried away Zuko's hands and enveloped him into a crushing hug.

"Shh," his whispered desperately, trying to calm him down. "You aren't there.  You're in Ba Sing Se, he can't get here, no one like them can. You're safe."

He could feel Zuko's silent tremors, his voice quieted, as he held him and repeated what he had sad. to him ( _youaresafeyouraresafe_ ). He didn't know what to do - he had comforted people after nightmares of course ( _screaming children in the trees, crying for parents who had disappeared in the ashes of former homes – the smell of tears and sounds of thrashing blankets and cries. Jet rarely got sleep then, and his shirts were always damp from tears)_  but it had never been like this.

Never anyone his age, never anyone he cared so _much_ about.

Eventually, after long moments of Jet rocking him back and forth, the teen in his arms finally stilled and lifted his head. "Jet?"

Jet had never heard his voice so small.

"Yeah, Zuko, it's me." He finally stated out in relief.

"What's happening? I feel so hot..." Zuko groaned, holding a hand to his forehead as Jet helped him lay back down. "Where's Uncle Iroh?"

"Get supplies." Jet informed him, pulling a blanket over, silently relieved the nightmare ( _memory_ ) appeared to have no lasting effects on him. "You have had a fever - something about critical decisions? I don't know... but your fever seems to have broken so that’s good."

"Hmm." Zuko hummed, eyes slipping shut. Jet watched him fall back. too sleep before tentatively, stroking a hand through his hair.

Zuko smiled, and Jet knew that everything was going to turn out okay.

(He hoped)

-

A day later, Zuko was practically healed.

 Jet and Iroh were also practically tying him down so that he _would take it easy and heal Spirits damn it!_

A day later, Jet also took a sip of tea and asked Zuko the one question that had been burning in his mind since the whole mess started.

"Were you ever going to tell me you were the Blue Spirit?"

Zuko promptly spit out his tea.

-

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the Avatar.”

“I’m sorry I yelled and lost my temper.”

“You had your reasons, Zu.”

“Zu?”

“Rather me call you _your highness?_ ”

“Spirits, no. But you also had your reasons.”

“Heh. I guess. We’re just a couple of fools aren’t we.”

“Guess so.”

-

"Are you sure you're better?" 

"Yes, Jet, I'm fine. Now spar with me."

"You su-"

"I TOLD YOU IM FINE!" Zuko yelled, then raised a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "I can fight. My chi is stable, my inner fire is perfectly fine and I don't feel weak, light-headed, or nauseous. Now fight me."

And with those angry words, Zuko lit his swords on fire and started attacking Jet.

Jet's heart skipped a beat as Zuko rushed him, a beautiful whirl of Fire and Steel and Golden dragon eyes. He could not, however, hide his flinch as the fire inched closer to him.

Fire, no matter how he felt towards it's prince, would always have a place of fear in his heart. He had lost too much to it to feel this way.

That didn't stop the slight regret as Zuko noticed his small moment of weakness and put out the dancing flames in a second. Jet smiled  weakly at him, and returned his slashes with a sheen of gratitude in his eyes.

Zuko wasn't done with his gesture of kindness however. Jet watched as the other stepped deliberately away from their small duel, opening his mouth to speak a few words.

"It's okay to be afraid of fire. I was when... _this_ …" he made an angry gesture to his scar, and Jet's heart clenched in some _feeling_ that he didn't know how to describe. How could you be afraid of the core of _yourself_? "Happened... but I had to get over it. You don't at least not in the way I had to. Fire was, is, a part of me. I couldn't let it rule me. But it's not a part of you. It's okay to fear it..., it’s understandable for an outsider… but it's far better to respect it. For everyone"

Zuko paused, a faraway look in his eye. "That's the first lesson a fire bender learns. Respect the flames. It will eat at your soul if you do not, eat at everything you love. It's not like rock or water or even air - it has a mind of its own. You need to respect that it can both save and kill, hurt and heal. You must control it. You must respect it. If you fear it, however reasonable that fear is, it will control you.

You cannot let that happen."

Jet stared at him, turning his words over in his mind.

Zuko made no sense and so much sense all at once that it made his head hurt. But Jet though he got it.

Don't fear the fire, respect it.

Fire benders were so _odd_ every time they talked about fire. Was this how Earth benders sounded to them?

Whatever the case. Jet was ready to continue. He ready he swords and willed Zuko to duel again. The prince did not disappoint, and surged ahead in a blur of flying steel.

NO matter how much problems he himself had with Fire, he still couldn't help but worry about Zuko.

He had just been sick and weak, in both heart and mind, as well as body. but Jet could breathe a sigh of relief at the pure vigor Zuko attacked with. He was not a hundred percent... but he would be fine.

Jet's heart though? He didn't think it would ever stop the fast pitter-patter pace he got when Zuko put himself into some reckless, life-threatening position.

And from what Uncle Mushi told him? That was all the time - more than Jet had thought.

(Zuko was always saying,

“I got it when some pirates blew my ship up. It was okay though, everyone else was already off of the ship”

Or

“Just some bits of rubble that scratched me when I had to save my uncle when he was kidnapped by Earth soldiers. Worst part about that was that Uncle was taking a bath at the time”

Jet never wished to see what his idea of a _big deal_ was.)

 (But Jet was one to talk. Hadn't Smellerbee always yelled at him for spraining a wrist or cutting or burning himself while fighting? Hadn’t he always brushed her off? _(Hadn't Mom always kissed his wounds while bandaging them, every time his play got a little too rough?)_ )

They would both be fine - Jet was sure of it. Heck, just that day Mushi had received a generous donation to start his own tea-shop - _in the Upper Ring!_ The man had spent the entire day badgering his nephew for a name for it - the current contenders, when Jet and Zuko had snuck out at least - had been _The Jasmine Dragon_ and _The Tea Weevil._

Personally, Jet hoped they went for the first one.

And best of all - Zuko wouldn't be leaving him down in the lower ring - Mushi had invited Jet and his (former) Freedom Fighters to work in the shop. Finally, Jet. could just relax with Zuko.

"Hey! Head in the fight!" Jet startled out of his thoughts, narrowly avoiding the dagger Zuko had thrown near his shoulder. Jet laughed and refocused.

Yeah.

Everything would be fine.

(That's what he had thought before the Avatar had arrived, before his village had burned down, before the rage had built and burned in his heart.

It would be true this time though.

It had to be.)

-

Miles away, beneath the city, a perfectly manicured nail tapped on a gold lined, mahogany table. Matching red lips, bright as blood, smiled a sinister grin as the tapping continued ominously through out the chamber.

Dark locks framed devious _dragon_ eyes as the young woman they belonged to glared down a man dressed in Earth robes before her.

The odd green light cast an odd, foreboding look about her. The woman herself privately thought the effect would have been more pronounced if they flickered like flame but it couldn’t be helped.

_Oh well._

"So," She said, pausing in her tapping. "Uncle and Zuzu are in the city are they not?"

The man before her, heart pattering as a prey's would before a predator, stammered out a nervous reply. "Ye-yes ma'am. Two men match the description you gave us."

"And where are they now?"

"In the Lower Ring - they are moving up to the Upper Ring tomorrow however, for the elder's tea shop."

There was a mad snort as the woman laughed at it. "Typical. I bet Zuzu hates it."

The already cold room dropped a few degrees as she smirked a decidedly malicious smirk. "I guess I'll just have to ruin it then. Maybe drop by, grab a bit of tea. There should be time for us to have a little family reunion after I take over. I can't _wait."_

The young man before her, stiffened in fear, before bowing and scurrying away.

"As you wish, Princess Azula."

A smart mouse hid when dragon's dueled.

The young man feared however, that this would be less like a duel more like a _slaughter_. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long pause! With school starting (And me watching all of Fairy Tail, Seven Deadly Sins and Fullmetal Alchemist lol) I haven't had much time to sit down and write, but I hope the extra long chapter makes up for it!
> 
> I am participating in Nanowrimo, so I hope I have some more for this from that.
> 
> Other than that, I'm not exactly happy with the chapter. I feel like a few things are too oddly placed and a couple of explanations in the text are weird. However, I'm kind of down with it so here you go!
> 
> As always, please tell me if you spot any mistakes! I'm sure I missed a few. Suggestions for the story are also welcome! I have an idea on how I want it to play out but its not set in stone. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me, Enjoy the chapter!
> 
> ~Whirly


	7. 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! No, you are not hallucinating - an Update at last! I hope you enjoy it. This one isn't as Zuko/Jet focused as the last two have been, but it does help move some things forward. 
> 
> Please tell me if you spot any mistakes or have any suggestions to improve this work! It really means a lot to me and helps me improve my writing skills.
> 
> Thanks! Enjoy!  
> \- Whirly

Sometimes, Zuko had told him stories of when he lived in the palace. Often, he told of turtle ducks, long training sessions, a caring mother and harsh father.

Other, rarer times, he would tell tales of his sister, and how before the onerous weight of royalty came to rest on their slender shoulders and the first spark of fire burst to life in their hearts, they would play in the courtyard and the nursery, just like any other siblings with no other friend to know and see.

Except they weren't like other siblings.

Their play consisted of battles and dragon flights, instead of house and hunting, of Hide ‘n explode, played with knives, fire and the rough environment around them, rather than simple hide ’n seek. With dolls they did not play house. - they set the dolls aflame and led one side to complete and utter victory.  
Zuko told him of how his sister, even at the tender age of four, would plan out battles with him at her side, how she artfully and masterfully created a total takeover and never shed even imaginary blood in a point of control but not a lack of ruthlessness.

It was terrifying to Jet, utterly normal to Zuko.

(He couldn’t help but shudder when he thought of the girl, without a face to her name, and what she could accomplish now.

They would all be helpless against her and her dragon heart.)  
But he just nodded, a small sometime strained smile on his face, glad that Zuko at least had some form of play as a child (even if it was with a psychopath sister.)  
-  
Jet knew now that it was a fact, as obvious as the sun and moon in the sky, that Zuko attracted trouble wherever he went. He attracted on the ferry, in the middle of the sea, and in the Fire Nation Palace. He attracted Jet, (and Jet was trouble), and he attracted bad spirits to him like flies to a corpse.

He should have known they would have run into some trouble sooner or later – big trouble, world-ending trouble- but he was still completely blindsided when Mushi came up to him, the day he was supposed to be serving tea to the Earth King, and calmly told him that if he or his friends wanted to live they would leave the city immediately.

His answer, when Jet asked why, was terrifying.

“Simply put, my niece is in the city. She will be taking over Ba Sing Se within the next two days. Today if she’s feeling particularly vengeful but she already has kidnapped my nephew so she should wait till at least tomorrow to truly… savor her victory.”

-

The reason Sozin’s, Azulon’s, Agni’s, line had held power in the Fire Nation for so long was not simply because they were appointed to power by the “visions of the high priests” but because they had a penchant for doing the impossible. The latest members of the family more than most.

Fire Lord Sozin said he was going to kill the Air Nomads, and so he did.

Iroh said he was going to break the wall of Ba Sing Se and so he did.

(Ursa, related by blood or not, said she was going to kill the Fire Lord and did.)

Zuko had said he would find the Avatar and so he did.

When Azula declared that she would take over Ba Sing Se with only three people, herself included… it was wise to listen.

-

According to Mushi, Jet’s boyfriend was trapped in an underground cell, because he decided to make sure his Uncle got away first and got captured by the Dai Li himself. Very admirable. Very noble. Very stupid.

Also, according to his idiot boyfriend’s uncle, the only way to save him was with the help of the Avatar and his friends.

Who, by the way, hated Jet and Zuko’s guts. They seemed to tolerate Mushi.

So, in a smart move (or so he thought), he decided to wait with the Dai Li agent that he and Mushi had tracked down while Mushi talked with the Avatar and his friends. He wished he had his own friends here as well; Smellerbee and Longshot had moved to secure supplies and leave the city – Spirits knows they would need it when Azula took over and they had to flee.

(Already, Jet was thinking of areas for resistance outposts, messenger trails, fighters he could contact to help and supply lines. He would not fall – he would fight, this time not out of hatred, but for the burning bright light of hope and love for the family he’d managed to bring together)

He was startled out of his thoughts by said Avatar and his friends a moment later. It was the fact that he was not immediately accosted in cold ice that tipped him off that someone was missing from their little group as well.

“Jet! What are you doing here? Wait don’t tell me – you’re here to destroy the Fire Nation in Ba Sing Se. Well too bad! I can’t believe I’m saying this but we need them! Azula is in the city!” Sokka sputtered out while Jet looked at him dully.

Did they not have any perception of the situation? At least the girl – Toph, he thought, - was good for something and trapped the Dai Li in Earthbended stone while Sokka was spluttering.

“This young man helped me track down the Dai Li agent here – isn’t he nice?” Mushi spoke in the wishy-washy way that made everyone think he was just a completely harmless oh so innocent old man. Jet held back a snort. He knew better by now.

(Official reports of the Siege commented on the Fire Nation command tent, standing tall and pround just out of reach of Ba Sing Se. General Iroh would come out nearly every day without fail and send fires reigning down the incoming Earth troops.

If they were lucky they died in the first wave of fire.)

“Sure. Nice.”

So apparently even Air Nomads could have dislike for someone. Who knew?

Sokka was skeptical, Jet could tell. He supposed he would too if somone had down what he himself did. “Don’t you hate the Fire Nation? Why are you helping Iroh?”

Jet grit his teeth. Understanding only went so far to curb his temper. . “It’s a damn good thing that I already knew he was Fire Nation, idiot. Haven’t you ever heard of being undercover? How do you think the princess got in here?” He sighed, then spoke again once he was sure he could speak the next words without growling. “And I don’t hate the Fire Nation. Not anymore.”

“Why?” Stupid Airbender.

“None of your business, pipsqueak. Now let’s go.” He turned, and in one sharp movement ripped the piece of cloth off of the Dai Li’s mouth.

He didn’t even have to lift a finger before the Dai Li was blabbering out Azula’s plans and the whereabouts of Zuko and Katara.

The Gaang (Was that really what they’d called themselves? (Well, he really had no room to talk with his Freedom Fighters…still he’d been younger than them when he’d named his group....)) was quick to trust the Dai Li agent, something Jet found completely idiotic. Could spare the Fire some mistrust but not Earth, no Earth was always trustworthy, never hiding an avalanche that could be kickstarted by a pebble. Hadn’t they learned anything from the Dai Li?

At least the blind kid – Toph, right? – had some skills in weeding out lies.

With her feet.

Scary.

-

 

They decided to split up after Toph (That was her name!) found an entrance to the catacombs – Sokka and Toph to the palace and Mushi, Aang and Jet to get his idiot boyfriend.

And Katara, I guess, Jet thought briefly, remembering the shivering cold that nearly led him to his death.

Mushi had actually tried to make Jet go with Sokka and Toph, reasoning that when facing Azula they would need more help. Jet just laughed in his face, and muttered quietly to him that if what he heard about Azula was true, nothing short of a master imperial Firebender would be able to even shift the tides of whatever battle awaited.

And Zuko was down there.

Of course he was going!

So here he was, walking through a dark tunnel as the Avatar bent earth around them, all the while listening to Mushi and said Avatar talk philosophy.

“Perfection and power are overrated.” Mushi was saying as Jet trailed behind the two benders, “I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love.”

Jet looked up at him, noticing the pained look in his eyes, and knew exactly who he was thinking of.

Would Zuko choose the path that Aang did? Or had he already chosen it?

(Nothing could ever be certain with Azula in the picture.)

The Avatar made one last sharp movement with his hands. Suddenly there was light…

And Zuko edging away from a certain testy Waterbender.

“Zuko!” Jet shouted the same time Katara turned and shouted “Aang!”

Jet moved to embrace the other, but Zuko made an aborted motion with his arms, looking back at Katara and Aang, signifying that they shouldn’t show affection.

Jet didn’t make sense of it until Mushi ran to hug his nephew, playing the doting Uncle card that that he often played around those he didn’t completely trust. (Truth be told, it wasn’t that far from the truth.)

Jet looked at Zuko and nodded, hoping to convey that he understood what he meant

(People can’t hurt what you love when they don’t know what it is.

He just wished Zuko hadn’t learned that lesson from his sister.)

Now was not the time for affections anyway – Azula was still on the prowl and about to take over the city, if she hadn’t moved to do so already

“We have to get out of here,” He said quickly as Aang glared at Zuko. (Yeesh, for a monk who practiced the art of loving everything he had a downright mean glare. It was like the embodiment of innocence was mad at you.) “Azula could make her move any minute.

“Azula?” Katara asked, confused. “What would she be here? We destroyed her drill!”

“And you think that was enough to stop her?” Zuko spat out before Mushi raised a hand to stop him.

“Azula is a master strategist and excels like no other in getting what she wants. Right now, she wants Ba Sing Se in the hands of the Fire Nation. She has infiltrated the Inner Circle of the Earth King with two of her companions and has the Dai Li wrapped around her finger. Ba Sing Se will fall in a matter of days if Sokka and Toph do not warn the Earth King in time, though I do suspect it is too late. “

Jet pushed the point. “So we have to move before she attacks, or else we will never get out of the catacombs,” Or the city. Unlike Omashu, the people here were already too disheartened by the Dai Li to put up a fight against Azula. There would be no rebellion or chance at a mass escape with Azula in charge.

“Right- We need to find Sokka and Toph!” The Airbender looked at the whole group as if he expected them to follow along. Jet was about to give a snort of disbelief when he realized that hey, this was an Earth City. They were underground. The only way in or out was through Earthbending. Which meant the Avatar was their only chance at getting out of the labyrinth underneath the city. Damn.

His shoulders drooped. He was so done with the Avatar and bending, and crazy nonsense like this. (Which was, well a bit of a lie – it was very, very exciting, and he loved adventure very much… but he would rather not have to deal with the Avatar.)

Jet shook himself out of it. It was not the time for self-pity. They had the Avatar’s friends to save and a coup to potentially stop.

They turned to start walking when a cold voice cut through the air. “Siding with the Avatar, Zuzu? I expected this from Uncle but you? I didn’t think you would sink this far.

“Azula” Zuko snarled as the Dai Li agents that dropped from the walls Earthbended stone to keep them entrapped. He couldn’t get another word out before Azula began speaking. “Release us!”

“No. You see – you’ve just been caught conspiring with the Avatar. That makes you a traitor- and you know what happens to traitors.”

Jet saw Zuko’s eyes widen at the hidden implications – but of what?

Then it hit him.

Grandfather died, Uncle went on his 'spiritual journey', Mom disappeared and Father became Fire Lord.

Azula said Father was going to kill me.

Mom was the best – she would never get angry at me even when I messed up again.

Azula always lies (except when the truth hurts worse)

Zuko’s mother killed Fire Lord Azulon because Fire Lord Azulon was going to kill her favorite child.

And then she disappeared without a trace.

Damn. What really happened to her? And what could happen to Zuko?  
“Dad’s done playing around Zuzu. He’s ready to have only one heir now.” Azula’s perfectly painted lips let pearly white teeth show through – Jet was surprised they were not fangs. “And I am perfectly happy to assist our wondrous Fire Lord with the task.”

As it was, he finally had a face to put to the picture of a psychotic little sister Zuko was always telling him about.

Perfectly collected, not a hair out of place or lipstick smudged, and an aura of power and command wreathed around her. Her eyes, darker and a more sinister amber than the golden dragon eyes Zuko had, pierced right through him when she felt she could spare a glance for him.

The fourteen-year-old in front of him was a child hiding the heart of demon.

How did Zuko still love her?

Mushi snarled, smoke whisping from his mouth. “Azula. You have gone to far. My brother knows that-.”

“That what, Uncle?” The she-demon said the word like it was an insult – so very different from how Zuko said it like it was something that offered him shelter from the world. “That the fire sages would never accept the death of an heir by the hands of another? That he would lose his son? The favor of the people?” She barked out a laugh. “Don’t you listen to Zuzu? Didn’t you listen to him about Azulon’s threats and the little accidents during training? Haven’t you seen the scar on his face? Dad’s wanted Zuko dead since, well, forever. “

Jet sucked in an inaudible breath. She was… happy about this. And Zuko – Zuko…

Looked like the world had been swept out from under his feet. And why would he look any different? Zuko always wanted to believe his father loved him – that his family wasn’t entirely broken from the start. That his uncle, as much as he loved his nephew, didn’t move him around like a Pai Sho tile, that his mother didn’t leave him with his insane father and sister, that his grandfather hadn’t really ordered his death.

And Azula took that fragile hope away. Damn her.

Jet wondered if Zuko had always known this, deep down inside.

(And those – those were the worst kinds of truths. The ones that have laid so heavy on your heart that you have grown accustomed to it, that you cover it up with lies to hide the weight. You fool yourself into believing those little lies so you can sleep at night, and fear the day the weight will sink your heart down into a river of despair.

What a terrible, terrible weight, Jet had thought in the forest, hiding the burning hole of hatred and malice within him with little lies such as They’re the real monsters.)

Azula raised a hand and shifted her stance. Her smile was deadly as the world split around her.

Lightning, Jet thought as blue crackling light came to life. Azula could bend lightning.

And she was bending it at Zuko.

Zuko, who was suddenly violently shift to the right by the movement of Earthbended stone as the Avatar broke free of his prison.

It was silent as Azula shifted again, turning to stare at the Avatar as they all took in the smoking spot where Zuko would have been. Her expression was void of any meaning beyond a twitch of her red lips and the darkening excitement in her eyes. “Oh well.” Her fingers snapped and the Dai li sprang into action. “It would have been boring if he just up and died, now wouldn’t it?”

Stone melted off of him and the others like water after several sharp movements from the Avatar that sank into the rocky ground. In one quick moment his blades sang free and he rose to fight the skilled agents opposing them. Zuko, freed as well, shifted to be angled against Jet’s back – close enough that he could protect him but far enough that their movements could stay long. And sweeping without having to pull their punches in order to protect the one against their back.

It was good to fight with someone you trusted at your back – Jet had forgotten the feeling.

He hoped he would live to feel it again.

-

In the end, he doesn’t know what really happened. He reacted, that was all; thinking in a fight could, no, would, get you killed.

To his left had been Katara standing in water, surrounded by her element as she struck out with razor sharp whips of ice and water. To his right had been Mushi, defending them all against the most skilled of the Dai Li – and Azula. (They all had heard the stories of the man who held their city under Siege for 600 days. Even after disappearing and siding with his nephew, the order had never changed on his Earth Kingdom wanted poster: Kill On Sight.) In front of him had been the Dai Li, agents with flashing hands of stone and hard coal eyes. And to his back had been Zuko wielding whips of fire (he could do that with fire?) against his sister, with the Avatar jumping every which way, throwing blasts of wind where ever he could and generally making a nuisance of himself. ( Had no one taught him what not to do in battle?)

And then the Avatar had been an idiot, and sat down in the middle of a battle where Earth Benders could easily move the dome over his head and kill him. (No one had taught him, had they? Not even the ‘Water Tribe Warrior’ Sokka?)

And Azula had known the idiocy of the move as well too. Jet had watched as she seemed to appear to lose a little bit more control while fighting Katara. Katara, who never dealt with trickery and deceit on the battlefield, who had fought honestly and proudly against Zuko who always shouted his intentions to the world. Katara had gotten confident – and reckless, even as she worried for Aang.

Zuko had noticed it to and swore, lashing out wildly with fists of fire.

(And it was so odd that his instincts didn’t scream danger every time the too hot flames came near him. He trusted Zuko and Zuko’s fire. And wasn’t that scary, that he would put his face next to a flaming fist without a care but the freezing cold of the water whips yards away sent fearful shivers up his spine?)

Then the Avatar’s little crystal dome of protection had given away to a little boy possessed by the Avatar Spirit, glowing in the air. And Spirits, nothing had ever terrified Jet more than the sight of those luminescent eyes and tattoos, humming with the tantalizing buzz of the power of the world within them.

And then the world had given away again as the air split and the hairs on the back of his neck curled. The world flashed blue and black, and the Avatar fell from the air, his back smoking with a wound of raw power.

There had been Azula, posed with her fingers pointing towards the Avatar. She had that smirk on her face, the same one that found its way onto a master’s face after he placed the winning Pai Sho move

She had struck the Avatar down without mercy while his allies were distracted and believed they had the upper hand, in the same manner she had taken over Ba Sing Se.

And she was about to do the same to the rest of them.

It was too much – Jet didn’t like the kid but that was the Avatar. The hope for the world. He had to do something.

He had rushed her, inadvertently creating a big enough distraction that Katara could reach. Aang and try to heal him with whatever meager healing skills she had. (Waterbenders could heal right? That was a thing? Spirts, he hoped so.)

He had faintly heard Mushi yelling pleas that the Avatar leave as Katara cast pitying looks back at them. Flames poured forth from aged hands and suddenly a body was at his side, pushing him away from an enraged Azula.

“We have to go!” Was all he had heard before a solid rock hand from a Dai Li agent hit his temple.

He had reacted – and it might have cost them everything or saved the entire world.

Once again, he hoped he lived to find out.

-

When he awoke, he was in an alley, surrounded by boxes with a worried Zuko watching the streets warily from his side.

“Wha-?” He managed to get out past the pounding in his head.

Zuko looked back at him and something in Jet’s heart clenched. Zuko’s eyes were puffy and red-rimmed and his face drawn and quiet. “Your awake. Good – can you stand?”

So much for a hello.

But what had happened between the time he blacked out and now to make Zuko like this?

Wait.

“Where’s Mushi?”

Zuko tensed then wiped at his eyes.

“Captured. He forced me to get you out while he held off Azula. He – he told me not to come back for him, Not yet at least. Azula is probably about to ship him back to the Fire Nation anyway.” Zuko’s voiced cracked with unnamed emotions of grief as he stood up, this time not even asking Jet if he could. “She wouldn’t want to risk the chance that he would escape. And he won’t want to attract trouble to me.” His unscarred eye glanced out to the streets. Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Jet grabbed the hand offered to him but did not let go after he stood up. Instead, he interlaced his fingers with Zuko’s and tried to offer as much comfort as he could while his head was spinning like the Avatar’s stupid air ball.

(The Dragon of the West had been captured at last – and by his own people. A year ago, Jet would have celebrated. Now he wanted to cry.)

“Outside of the city. Azula’s taken over – you’ve been out for about eight hours. She’s worked fast. Now move before the Dai Li spot you!”

Zuko pulled Jet out and onto the streets that were filled with carnage. Smoke filled the air as people hid in their homes from the soldiers clad in red and black armor sparking the fires. Fire Nation messenger hawks soared across the city delivering critical information for the take over as shouts of confusion rang free.

It was startling. But not so much as the mountainous terrain he could see in the distance. The only place you could see beyond the wall of Ba Sing Se was the tallest towers in the Upper Ring.  
They could only be in the Middle Ring at best, yet the approaching army was plain to see.

The Wall had been taken down. Ba Sing Se, the impenetrable city that had stood tall against thousands of wars of physical and spiritual nature alike had fallen. To a fourteen-year-old girl.

“What… What now?” His throat was like sandpaper and he could barely move the words past the lump in his throat.

“I told you,” Zuko said, eyes dark. “We get out of here. And fight to get what we love back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I would like to take the time to apologize about the wait. I stumbled onto a writers block for this project so I moved onto others. (To any FMA fans, I have several in the works that I may post soon! Pretty big ones too).
> 
> I think the biggest problem I had was merging it with the canon timeline and scenes. It took me a long time to get the scene with Azula where I was at least not about to tear my hair out over it.
> 
> Anyway, I should work faster now that I have broken away from Canon for (almost) good. But, in the future, does anyone have any suggestions on how I can work better with merging my writing with canons?
> 
> And as always, thank you so much for reading this! Your comments mean so much to me, and honestly!?!?! Almost 2,000 views?? I never dreamed of this getting that far. 
> 
> If you spot any mistakes or have any suggestions for this work, let me know!! 
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Whirly


	8. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I would like to apologize for the wait (again!) and thank you all for the support!  
> I believe the wait is worth it though - over 5,000 words! I think it's my longest chapter yet!
> 
> Well, anyway, as always please tell me any mistakes you find or any suggestions you have! I want to become the best writer I can be, and I can't do that if I don't recognize my mistakes.
> 
> Edit: Also, before I forget, a commenter commented on the similarities between this fic and the ever famous Embers by Vathara ,and Foxfire which I believe is by Rahar Moonfire?? I haven't read the last one but it's on my list now! But my point is yes!!! It is inspired somewhat by Embers. Particularly a point in the previous chapter, commenting on the determination of the Fire Nation Royal family, which was a discussion that was elaborated on as well as a theme in Embers. 
> 
> Embers is one of my all time favorite fics, and something that greatly influenced my view of Avatar - so I just wanted to clarify that yes this is inspired in some elements by it - though obviously the Jetko isn't :) 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!
> 
> \- Whirly

Jet swore as he ducked behind yet another randomly stacked crate to avoid detection by Fire Nation troops. 

Getting into the city – forged passports, stolen food, Fire nation royalty and all – was so much _easier_ than getting out of it.

_What the hell spirits,_ he thought, swinging his head around to catch a glimpse of Zuko, _couldn’t you have made this a bit easier? I’m trying to_ save _Ba Sing Se, you know._

_  
_ After Jet had woken up, it had taken awhile for him to be steady enough to. risk moving. His head still pounded but it was eased to the point that he could walk without moving his head. At the moment, they were trying to get far, far away from the area where Azula’s forces were concentrated - namely the exit to the catacombs. 

The city was a mess. The citizens were agitated by the fall of the wall – but not so much that they didn’t submit immediately to the Dai Li and the Fire Nation. They were scared and typically that meant uprisings and bad decisions in other cities– but that had been beaten out of them in the form of scare tactics by the Dai Li.

_There is no War in Ba Sing Se._

Biggest lie of the century.

Red and black armor swept through the streets accompanied by smoke and flashes of white-hot fire. The stomping of the komodo rhinos was a drum beat of terror and even the sky seemed to be painted red with blood. Few guards had tried rebelling – those that did where shot down by fire, rock, or steel.

Azula had masterfully executed a complete take over – the only loose strings left were him and Zuko, considering that the Avatar was dead. 

(And he really wanted to blame his avoidance of thinking about that on the pounding of his head. But the thing was – That _kid_ was the same age of some his (former) Freedom Fighters. That _kid_ was the Avatar, the person and spirit that the entire _world_ depended on. And that _kid,_ that _twelve year old pacifist kid_ , had been shot down mercilessly in front of him.

Aang was _dead._

_Shit._ )

Suddenly there was a steady weight on his shoulder. It was only years of training to keep _quiet_ and the muffled, familiar crackly _shhh_ that kept him from elbowing the owner of the weight in the gut.

“There’s a hidden garden in the block that we can hide in. Come on.” Zuko whispered, tugging the teen gently so that he would follow. With urgent footsteps, the two vaulted over the low stone wall and crept along the roof before dropping into the garden.

_Spirits,_ it was hard to keep track of Zuko’s earthy brown robes, even if his headache wasn’t there. They blended in with the night time stone environment far too well. Jet’s own blues and reds in comparison stood out like a beacon of light. They had helped him in the forest – blending in with the azure sky above and the brilliant red and golden orange trees – but they stood out like a burning flare in this kingdom of stone and brick.

( _Hell_ , he missed the forest- the place where he could be wild and violent and free without ever hurting someone on accident, without being trapped by laws that dug into his skin like the Dai Li’s stone chains.

He may have been misled and hurting and consumed by his hatred but he was _free_. 

(Maybe he could be again?)

The garden the duo landed in was quiet. There was a small babbling fountain and some artistically placed flowers wafting in the slight breeze on the far end, but was otherwise peaceful. The magnolia in the corner served to shield them from prying eyes, even as wilted as it was.

Still, Zuko dragged Jet right beneath it so that they would have a good view from all areas of attack (Earth benders could move the earth under your feet and the walls behind your back – nowhere was safe even though sheltered walls should be.)

“Alright” Zuko whispered harshly. “We can take a quick break. Where are Longshot and Smellerbee?”

Did he not- right, he had been kidnapped. “They’re out of the city– or at least they should be. When Mushi,” It hurt seeing Zuko’s face at the short mention of uncle, “told us your sister was in the city, I sent them out to gather supplies and get out. Rumors said there was an old tunnel to get into the city on the east side. People stopped using it when the ferries were put into action, but I checked it out with Longshot when we first got into the city. We walked for a mile without it stopping so it should be open.”

The hope in Zuko’s eyes was tangible. Jet felt proud knowing he sparked that hope. “Great. I had planned to get out by the Northern Wall area and then travel to the east but that works even better.”

Jet nodded. “Smellerbee and Longshot have orders to wait for a week with the supplies in case we couldn’t get out right away… or something else happened. If they left early, then they would head to Chameleon Bay.” A shout came from in front of the house they were ducking behind. Both Jet and Zuko froze as the rough sounds of a komodo-rhino hustled by.

When the sound was long gone, Zuko stood up. “We’ve stayed here too long. We have to go by my apartment first – we’re only about ten minutes away. Then we’ll head to the Outer Ring… or what’s left of it. Do you need anything?”

“Longshot and Smellerbee grabbed my stuff for me." 

“Good. Let’s go.” With a single smooth movement Zuko scaled the side of the building and onto the roof. Before Jet could follow however, Zuko dropped back down and slid into the window above their heads.

“Zuko!” Jet hissed. “What are you doing?” 

Suddenly brown obscured his vision – it was an old cloak, liberated from some poor man’s closet. “Put that on,” Zuko instructed. “It’ll cover up your outfit.”

“My outfit,” Jet spluttered indignantly despite thinking the same as Zuko just moments before. “Is perfectly fine.”

He put on the cloak.

-

He had traversed the city’s rooftops countless times before with Zuko. The tiled terrain had been their sanctuary, far above the bustling streets, with only the Dai Li for company. They could view the world for miles – it was a peaceful place, like the world below could not touch them.

Now, sprinting and hiding on the rooftops, they seemed much less welcoming and more sinister. Was the odd shape ahead a crouched Dai Li agent or simply a statue a noble man had commissioned? Was the light above from a hearth or fire bending hands? Was that odd dark space right in front of him a gap between buildings or just a different colored roof?

It was like an entirely new world, wreathed in shadows and far from the friendly eye.

It was not his sanctuary any more.

Even the views were different.

Without the Outer Wall separating them all from the outside world, the city seemed not only colossal but never ending. The small houses on the Outer Ring merged with the dusty sands beyond, creating an unclear horizon of gold and gray. The normally clear pre-dawn skies were now clouded with smoke, and far too many wild lights ran rampant around the city from Fire Nation fires. The city often had a feel of subtle oppression over it – now it was blatant and bare for all the world to see. 

Jet shivered.

Ba Sing Se wasn’t even Ba Sing Se anymore, but what did it say about the city that the citizens didn’t feel the difference?

-

Zuko’s apartment was dark and destroyed by the time they reached it. Azula had sent her troops to search the place while Jet had been unconscious and Zuko shielding his body.

Zuko didn’t seem surprised when he saw the trashed room from the view from the opposite building. Jet watched as he simply took note of the guard standing outside the apartment buildings door, and gestured to Jet to slip inside the window with him while the guard turned his head for a split second.

Inside was worse than the glimpse they had gotten from the window. The table was overthrown, travel bags upended onto the floor and cabinets swung upon. Zuko ignored all of it and went straight for the floor board three spaces from the cot he had for a bed. With practiced ease he lifted the wooden board up and swept the contents of the space underneath out.

Jet raised his eyebrows at what he saw.

There was another travel bag – this one packed lighter than the one on the floor but still fit for travel – and some food for the road. Also in there was Zuko’s sheathed dao, his throwing knives, cleaning kit, and the Blue Spirit mask.

_Hell –_ his boyfriend was the Blue Spirit.

The Spirit of the Stolen Deaths – or at least the one who stole his face.

As Zuko packed up his bag Jet took the chance to comment on it. “You know – that mask might be the reason you have such rotten luck. It’s bad luck to steal from a spirit – especially one like _that._ ”

Zuko only snorted as his disdain for the mask. “My bad luck began far earlier than when I got that mask.”

An echo of a past conversation floated through Jet’s head as he stiffened at the words.

_Father always said Azula was born lucky – but I was always just lucky to be born._

Oblivious to Jet’s dilemma of possibly accidently bringing up traumatic memories, Zuko went on. “Besides – the tales of the Blue Spirit are different in the Fire Nation. In Earth, those who take the face of a spirit are to be punished – and its usually like that with spirits of Fire as well. But the Blue Spirit – those who take his face for acts of deceit and treachery are honored by him. He is thethe Spirit of the Stolen Deaths – he wants people to fall to him, to steal life and power from those around them.” He sighed, placing the masks into his pack. “As a prince and traitor, I embody what he wants. Anything I do against the ruling power of the Fire Nation or even the Earth Kingdom, honors him.”

“Huh.” Was all Jet could get out, disquieted as he was about this new information. Zuko was.. insane. And a genius. But definitely _insane_.

(Just like the rest of his family)

A voice called out from below, word unclear but the undertones of urgency all too vivid. 

The two traded a look, and slipped out the window as silent as they came in.

-

When they reached the Lower Ring Lotus Region, they met their first problem. (Well, beyond the Fire Nation occupation that is…)

A barricade. A freaking _barricade_. Was Azula really that mad that her brother got away?

The wall of enemy soldiers and komodo rhinos, each seeming that they breathed fire (and some literally), blocked off every street to the east, and every train station that transported people between the Rings.

Spirits. What the heck?

_No Jet, Focus. You can do this. You snuck in, you can sneak out._

Zuko apparently had the same idea of _calm the hell down you got this_ , because after two seconds of peacefully closing his eyes, he shot to his feet. “Come on. We need a distraction. Fire Nation Barricade Protocol dictates that when barricaded, if disturbances erupt, some of each section will go to calm it down while at least two stay behind if it is a mass force. With the komodo rhinos, the rhinos will stay put while the foot soldiers go on ahead. The rhinos can’t move as well in the small city – we can get past them.”

“Then what’s our distraction?”

Zuko’s eyes slid over to an elderly man and his pile of fruit, as well as the ostrich horses near him. 

“I have an idea.”

-

The chaos was absolutely _beautiful._

With a well-placed hit with a rotten dragon fruit on an ostrich horse behind, they had sparked a stampede (Of two ostrich horses but _whatever,_ it was still a stampede) that had turned over the old man’s cart, causing a mass panic. As Zuko predicted, the foot soldiers had run to quiet the disturbance, leaving the cavalry utterly defenseless when two agile, armed teens ran past them.

 Even better, they didn’t even notice they ran past – they were too distracted by the disturbance just in their line of sight to look below where Jet and Zuko were creeping.

As they ran away, chaotic mess left behind and ahead of the barricade, Jet let out a laugh at the merchant’s mournful wail.

“MY CABBAGES!”

-

After that it was quieter in the city.

But never calm.

Jet’s heart would not stop beating rapidly and his headache was getting worse. Zuko was getting progressively twitchier with every unexpected guard they came across – apparently Azula had sent orders to shake up the typical routine in order to mess them up. There were a lot of them – guards that is -- and the rumors about Azula that they whispered at every moment were just _awful_ for Zuko’s (And Jet’s) paranoia.

Had he mentioned his headache? Probably.

_Spirits_ , he hated this city.

The sun was nearly gone from the sky by the time Zuko and Jet found a place to rest in the form of an abandoned apartment complex. It was small, smelly, and in general horrible, but its shape made it easily defendable and there were several roof top paths to take to get out (If the Dai Li weren’t on them that is.)

The city was huge – it took two days to cross it by foot. Less if you were a bender, or had a train or animal. But definitely more when you were stopping every five minutes because of a passing patrol.

He and Zuko had already been in the middle of the city but they still weren’t fast or strong enough to cross it in less than a day.

They would make it out tomorrow. They had to.

Today they would rest and hope their friends didn’t think they were dead.

_Hell_ , Jet greatly sunk down to the floor, back resting wearily on the wall behind him and hook swords held loosely in his hands. His body was _sore, damnit._ He closed his eyes. Just a minute of rest then he could move into a better position.

A warm hand rested gently on his forehead, finger’s calloused and scarred. Jet let his eyes flutter open as they moved across his head, gently probing at his head wound from earlier

_“_ Cut tha-” He yawned. “Out. ‘m tired.”

“Sorry, just got to check your wound. Make sure it’s not too bad… or infected. Go back to sleep.”

Finally, his eyes opened all the way.

And his heart just exploded as well.

Zuko was standing in front of him, eyes unbelievably soft, scar doing nothing to diminish that. They were filled with golden pools of concern, all for Jet. Bandages, made and cleaned from things around the household, were laid across his lap, ready to be put on.

“Zu…”

Zuko’s cheeks reddened at the new nickname, but didn’t stop looking at him. Just finally parted his hair to get a better look at the wound. “Stop fidgeting damnit.” He took a cloth and scrubbed at the newly dried blood on Jet’s temple. It was silent as Jet took in the fading sunlight reflecting on Zuko’s cheeks from the nearby window as Zuko continued to clean the cut. It wasn’t long before Zuko murmured that the cut looked clean and started wrapping the clothes around Jet’s head.

He sat back on his knees looking at his work, before sighing. “We should have down that earlier. If you start feeling off- _tell me._ We can’t risk it… and I can’t risk you.”

“Zuko,” Jet said, just as softly as the other.

Zuko turned his head, so that his scar covered his emotions. “Let’s move into a corner so they can’t see us from the window.”

Jet groaned but moved anyway. The moment he sat down however, he snared Zuko in his arms, so that they were both resting against the wall but his arm was around the other’s shoulders, holding him tight.

“So,” He said once Zuko had admitted defeat and gotten comfortable. “That’s your sister.”

“Yes. That’s Azula.”

“Huh.”

“She’s usually worse.”

“No kidding.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t kill me on sight." 

“I’m glad she didn’t.” Humor aside, Jet took a breath.  “You sure you’re okay though?”

It took a few minutes for Zuko to respond. Jet had nearly thought he had fallen asleep until he answered. “Kind of. I thought… I thought I had somehow gotten past that. That everything was okay as it could be. But then Azula shows up and says Father wants me dead – and _Azula always lies_ ,” Jet did not like how practiced that phrase sounded, he did _not_ “but she _meant_ it this time and-” He leaned his head back against the wall. “Why can’t it just be –”

“Easier?”

“Just _okay”_

The force behind his words was tangible. Jet held him tighter, recognizing the pain in his eyes. In that moment he made a decision.

“It will be.” And anyone who stood in his way would be burned with all the fury and hatred trapped in Jet’s soul. He couldn’t make things easier – their life would never be easy, not with the war, with the trauma, with the hatred sowed deep in the land – but he could make it _okay_.

(The forest, with all the fighting and lost souls and happy and sad memories, was okay.)

He could shield Zuko from his family’s hate, force him to see that he was _loved_ (and maybe Jet hadn’t said the words yet, wasn’t sure if he was in it with Zuko yet, but he was sure he would be _someday_.), and help him save whatever part of the world they could.

(The Avatar was _dead_ )

He hoped Zuko understood that.

Zuko shifted, his hand reaching up to Jet’s. A feather light, warm touch circled around his hand.

“Okay." 

And then it was quiet.

- 

Jet was woken by the weak filtered sunlight across his face and the sound of stomping outside his window. During the night, his cloak had somehow spread across both his and Zuko’s laps, a comforting weight in the night.

But there was no time for comfort. Not with the commotion outside.

He didn’t even have to wake Zuko – the second the crackling noise of fire erupted outside he was up, one hand on his dao and the other sparking out flames. 

Jet grabbed their bags, and when Zuko registered where they were, both were running to peek out the window.

_Hell,_ was Jet’s only thought as they looked outside. That was _a lot_ of soldiers.

An entire troop of black-red armored Fire Nation soldiers, infantry and cavalry, with the black-garbed Dai Li mixed in as well. 

“ _How the hell did they find us?”_ He hissed to Zuko.

“Spies?” Zuko spared a moment to answer.  “Or maybe just civilians – occupied people running around with swords and hiding in dilapidated buildings during an occupation isn’t exact subtle. Anyone could have spotted us. ” The _Azula has a way of getting answers out of people_ was implied.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Zuko’s glanced around, curiously examining every part of the scene before them before his eyes alighted on the ostrich horse on the edge of the street, clearly distressed about the invading force.

Jet followed his eyes and winced. “Not another distraction?” As funny as it was, he didn’t think it would do much with this many people.

Zuko shook his head. “An escape routes. The rooftops are probably covered by the Dai Li…” He statrt muttering, trailing off when he stumbled upon the final products to his idea. It was kind of cute ( _Not the time, not the time!)._ “Let’s move up a floor, to the window with a clothesline.”

Jet’s eyes widened as he finally connected the dots. “Oh… _Oh!”_ A wicked grin crossed his face. _Damn, this is going to be fun._

-

By the time they reached the roof, the soldiers outside had grown even more restless. The captain at the front was fidgeting in place, probably worried he had staked out the wrong building. The Dai Li were as passive as ever, at least from what Jet and Zuko could see.

Well, they were about to get a very salient notice that the two fugitives (that’s what they were right?)  were here, kicking, screaming, and refusing to go down without a fight

“Ready?” Jet asked, readying his hook swords and turning to look at his boyfriend. Zuko gave a quick nod, tightening his hold on Jet’s waist.

“Alright then.” And in one swift moment, Jet kicked the shudders open and leapt out the window, hook swords crossing and catching on to the wiry clothesline, grappling them across. Zuko was a firm weight on his waist, and in moments the Dai Li and soldiers were upon them. 

But Zuko was ready, and a wash of heat covered Jet. Zuko was kicking out waves of fire, hot and fierce, with his legs without mercy. His grip on Jet twisted and shifted, and it was all he could do not to move and make sure Zuko stayed on.

The screams of confusion below were loud and chaotic, however, and Jet focused on the vindictive pleasure he got from seeing the Dai Li and troops unable to get close due to the fire.

But the Fire Nation didn’t get to have the best military in the world (or rather, only military – the Earth Army was mostly just a defensive home guard) by being stupid. Already the troops were moving to the other end of the street, where the clothesline would end.

Zuko had prepared for that, and shifted his form so that his legs hung onto Jet’s while his hands, which had far better aim, shot out eight bursts of fire onto the surrounding buildings.

(“Did you know,” Zuko said, as they climbed up the stairs the, “That only a master fire bender can put out large amounts of fire?”

“What?” Jet said, bewildered. “Isn’t it still their element? Can’t they just take control like Earth Benders?”

“And,” Zuko said, continuing like Jet hadn’t spoken, “Fire benders can only burn from flames not their own. ”

Jet stayed quiet this time, letting Zuko speak.

“My family is among the few who can control the large outside flames with any skill, and while many masters can keep themselves from getting burned from outside flames, novices have to focus to do that.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It means,” Zuko looked up to him, flames sparking in his hand. “That if we start a fire, the Dai Li will be the ones to deal with it, getting rid of one adversary. And if that happens, then the Fire Nation infantry should be easy enough to get by. They don’t focus on speed, only on coordinated attacks, especially in an occupation force. Specialty and speed is more a Dai Li thing.”

“So we have a chance.”

“Yeah. A really good one.” 

Almost immediately the buildings caught fire, the old wooden frames creating an easy kindling for a blaze. And, just as fast, the soldiers below panicked. The Dai Li appeared confused, not realizing that the fire benders couldn’t put out the fire, only add to it.

Zuko shot out another round of fire, this time into the crowd. Jet readjusted his grip as Zuko shifted again, loosening his legs around him.

In the next second, Jet swung himself forward as Zuko let go of him, his hooks flying off the clothesline and plummeting towards the ground. With a deft roll he was back on his feet, shoulder smarting but ready to fight. Zuko was already on the horse, his hand outstretched for Jet to take.

“Let’s go!”

Calloused hands gripped calloused hands, and Jet was swung up onto a running ostrich horse that Zuko was steering with unmatched skill.

Shouts screeched behind them, and Zuko took the time to shoot off more fire on the surrounding buildings while Jet ducked down to avoid the flames.

“With luck,” Zuko panted, grabbing onto the reins with both hands again, “They’ll blame the Fire Nation and - _hell!”_ He dodged a blast of flame from the Komodo rhino riders following them. “-It’ll reflect poorly on Azula. Her power won’t be absolute if she can’t keep us in and if we cause this much trouble. It’ll hurt her- WATCH OUT!” Zuko yanked on the reins, pivoting the ostrich horse away from the approaching platoon.

Jet wasn’t worried about that however, he was already instinctively wielding his hooks swords at any one who tried to get close. What he was worried about was the _worry_ in Zuko’s voice at the Fire Lord’s ire directed at Azula… the two people who had perhaps hurt Zuko the _worse_ in his lifetime.

Yikes.

They were now travelling down another path, narrower this time and barely large enough for the ostrich horse and its two riders. No komodo rhinos would be able to get them through here. Didn’t mean the blasts of fire wouldn’t reach them.

Wordlessly, Zuko managed to switch spots with Jet so that Jet was steering the horse and Zuko was in the back. And with a slice of his fist, he sliced the approaching fire blasts in half.

“We heading in the right direction?”

“Yeah.” Jet answered with a glance at the sun in the sky. “With the speed we are going at we’ll make it before lunch. 

“Good. Duck.”

Jet obeyed without question, just in time for Zuko to sweep a flame clothed dao over his head.

After that, Jet was lost to the chase and the hot glare of the sun above them.

He ducked and weaved through the crowd, reins leathery and slippery in his sweat soaked hands. The crowd, sparse as it was thanks to the invasion, was chaotic and distracting, and the pounding of his bags on his back was no help. _Spirits, If I could just have some water!_

Two carts to his right and left, Fire Nation soldiers, some new to the chase, right behind him. He wasn’t going to make it- _yank on the reins, Jet, the reins –_

Fruit flew as the ostrich horse just barely cleared the top of the carts. _Yeah!_

The landing was not as smooth – he and Zuko tumbled to the ground, getting to their feet as fast as they possibly could, their boots clacking on the ground.

In the haze of the chase, Jet hadn’t noticed how close to the wall they were. But now, in the Lower Ring, the slums around him were obvious and the wall – the wall!

They had left the Eastern Wall up! How the hell had he not noticed that before? But this meant – this meant that the tunnel was still there, and that the Fire Nation soldiers were able to pursue them.

_Finally, some good fortune._

Jet eye’s glanced around as they ran, trying to spot the sign to where the tunnel was. 

_Third green guard tower from the gold command tower_ \- He grabbed Zuko’s sleeved and tugged them down an alley – _Lotus sign, where’s the lotus sign?_ _There!_

And there it was, encarved in stone and flashes of worthless green rock on the Wall between two poorly kept buildings. He dashed into the alley, hiding against the wall with Zuko as soldiers stamped past the opening. After a minute of tense silence, Jet let out a breath, then turned to face the wall – and promptly painicked.

The tunnel wasn’t there.

Sure, there was the lotus engraving in the wall, and the buildings were in the right place – the area was correct. But the half-collapsed shack that hid the entrance was gone, as was the dark hole it was covering.

_How were they going to get out now?_

“Jet?” Zuko interrupted his train of thought. “Where’s the tunnel?” His dragon-eyes were worried, and _scared_. _Spirits,_ what were they going to do? Had Longshot and Smellerbee even made it out?

Before he could give an answer, a low hum came from to their left.

He and Zuko looked over with wide eyes. There, sitting beside a Pai Sho board, was an old man, waiting for an opponent for his game. He seemed peaceful enough, in his top knot and earthy green robes,  but there was a lilt to his grin that reminded Jet way too much of Mushi when he obliterated opponents in Pai Sho… or when he talked about his winning strategies. The man flipped a lotus tile in his hand before flipping it into his sleeve.

Then, with a grace near impossible for a man as old as he, he jumped off the porch and went into the alley, hands moving in a familiar pattern.

_That’s how the Dai Li opened the tunnels!_ Jet’s eyes opened even wider as he took in the sight, gripping his swords tight. Didn’t each faction of earth benders have their own moves? Was this guy a Dai Li? 

In silence seems split open around the carved lotus sign. Rock sunk into the ground as the man gave one stop in bare shoes. In beautiful fluidity he lowered his hands, drawing his chi down and finishing the move.

The Eastern Wall now had a clear cut way out into the world beyond.

They were _free._ Finally out of this hellhole of a city.

The old man smiled and shooed them along. Jet gave him a bow of thanks, as did Zuko, before they turned into the tunnel. Soon, stone became grass and the tunnel shut behind them. The wall stood at their backs, defeated, and the world was spread before them, green and flourishing

There was no time to waste – no time to appreciate the view. They had to reach the tree line.

And in moments they did. Jet and Zuko broke through the foliage after a mad dash, the trees quickly obscuring the looming city behind them.

And ahead – a familiar straw hat and bushy head of hair.

“Longshot! Smellerbee!” He barreled into the two with a crashing hug. “You’re okay! We made it!” Looking over his shoulder, her reached out and dragged Zuko in as well. “We made it!" 

“Yeah, Jet,” Smellerbee laughed, her voice shaky and full of happy tears. “We made it.”

They were finally, finally out of the Not-So-Impenetrable City of Ba Sing Se.

Jet could sleep for a week.

(But there was work to do – rescues to plan, resistances to make, transportation to organize. 

The Avatar was dead but hell if Jet was going to let this world fall with him.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... How'd you like it?
> 
> I think the action scenes, though they made up the entirety of the chapter, were well... not the best. Any suggestions on how to make them better?
> 
> Other than that - Yay! The boys are out of Ba Sing Se! I looked at so many maps to figure out their path, so I hope it paid off.
> 
> Coming up should be an interlude from Zuko - finally seeing his POV and how he's coping with the loss of Iroh, and his new relationship with Jet!
> 
> Hopefully up soon, but no promises.
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read! Please tell me any mistakes you found/suggestions you have!
> 
> Thank you!  
> \- Whirly


	9. Interlude: Zuko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: 6/16/20 - Made changes to formatting! 
> 
> Sorry for the wait! I keep getting side tracked by other projects. Those will. be posted once I complete them (I've learned my lesson from this project haha.)
> 
> Anyway, so. this one is from Zuko's POV if you haven;'t guessed. I was. originally going to do something less plot-driven and more introspective but it got away from me. It's shorter than previous chapters, just a warning, but that's just because its only an interlude. the Finale to the Ba Sing Se Arc! 
> 
> I wrote most of this just today, so I apologize for any obvious mistakes!  
> That being said, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT! I know this isn't as popular as some other fics, but all the kudos and comments and even views make my day. I apologize for not responding to some of the comments (I get anxious sorry!) but I will try to write some tonight.
> 
> As always, please tell me any mistakes you see and/or suggestions you feel need to be made! I am still learning, and any critiques help me along my way to be the best writer I can be.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy!  
> ~Whirly

Sitting in a clear grove beneath the trees with a calloused hand in his, Zuko finally felt like he could _breathe._

 

It had been a nice few months in the city – Uncle had been happy, Jet had been happy, Zuko had been learning how to be happy - but the ever-looming presence of oppression was not a welcome one. Nor was the constant vigilance of the Dai Li. It had been like a cage over his heart, binding it and keeping him trapped in a never-ending loop of paranoia.

The paranoia that Azula brought was okay. He had lived with it forever.

 

But now…

 

His father wanted him dead.

 

His sister wanted him dead.

 

Uncle was going to be dead.

 

Suddenly, the freedom he felt as he was finally out of that hellhole of a city didn’t feel so free.

 

A thumb brushed over his knuckles, small yet reassuring. Zuko remembered to breath, and looked at the map Jet had laid out.

 

They had a plan. (Jet had confessed to him, in the late hours of the night one peaceful day, that he wanted to save the world. Make up for what he had done. Save what was his. And he had some connections, some rumors, to do so.) The Avatar, Zuko’s only chance at getting back to a home that never wanted him, may be dead, but the hope for the world couldn’t be.

 

Surely the Fire Nation wasn’t the only nation to have hope outside the Avatar.

 

(A bitter snarl curled up within him at that. The world, save for a select few, had _waited_ for the

Avatar to show up and save them, didn’t fight for themselves, didn’t throw off the Fire Nation

forces when it was so unbelievably easy to squash invading troops with rock if you were _smart_

about it. Did they not know how to _survive_?)

 

There was a resistance out there – small and spread apart, but _there._ And that wasn’t even taking

into account the odd group of people that held the lotus flower. The ones who had got him (and _Uncle)_ into the city, had gotten him and Jet out, the ones who played Pai Sho with _Uncle_ and always liked to roll the lotus tile between their fingers (like _Uncle)._

There was the seeds of rebellion planted out there in the Earth Kingdom, and by Agni’s fury he and Jet were going to make it _grow_ so that the Fire Lord (his _father_ (who wanted him _dead_ ) would be rotting corpse at the world’s feet, for the vengeance of the widows and orphans and lost soldier boys and dead children of the world.

 

But how to do that…

 

Words bubbled out of his throats unbidden. “We need Uncle.”

 

It was then that Smellerbee and Longshot actually noticed the absence of Zuko’s typical shadow.

 

“Wait – where is the old man?” Smellerbee questioned as she finished laying rocks on the edges of the map.

 

“Azula got him.” Jet’s fingers rubbed circles into Zuko’s hand as he pushed further into Jet’s shoulder with his own

 

The people gathered in clearing stilled. To Zuko’s ears, even the forest seemed to freeze, sensing that something was horribly _wrong_.

 

A pause.

 

A long, long pause as Longshot looked critically at both of them, then through the forest behind them that shielded the way back to the hellish city they had come from. Smellerbee did the same, stilling with her fidgeting motions only when Longshot laid a slender hand on her shoulder.

 

“Tell us,” the normally muted boy said in a voice that didn’t hint at any long silences.

 

And so Zuko shared a look with the tanned boy next to him, squeezed his hand once, and opened his mouth.

 

“It started with the invitation to the Earth King’s palace for my Uncle…”

 

-

 

When the tale concluded, there was a silence. During the story there had been snickers as the ostrich-horse chases, gasps at when the two had appeared cornered, and somber sounds as Uncle was captured. (Zuko had to admit, Jet had a talent with words that Zuko would never have, weaving stories out of terror and triumphs out of tragedy. It just made Zuko like him all that much more)

 

Smellerbee was the first to speak, choosing to bypass commenting on what had happened in the tale and focus on the comment that had started it. “Why do. we need Uncle Mu- Iroh. Why do we need Iroh?”

 

Zuko laughed despite the situation, something flitting warm in his chest at his friend’s (for that was what they were right? Friends?) confusion at what to call the old man. “Just call him Uncle. He would – wants it that way.” _Why the hell was he talking like Uncle was dead? They were going to save him damnit._

 

Smellerbee smiled, and continued. “Why do we need Uncle? I mean like of course we want him back but-”

 

Zuko cut her off, understanding what she meant. “Because he’s our way in.”

 

“Into what?” Now Jet was looking at him. Gah. Zuko regretfully let go of Jet’s hand to stumble upward and grab the bags abandoned to their left. He quickly rummaged through the clothes within before finding the purple pouch at the bottom. With one swift motion he turned back to the others and upended the pouch onto the ground. Pai sho tiles spilled out, and Zuko picked through them, knowing the other’s probably thought him insane.

 

At last, however, he found what he was looking for. “Ha!” He cried triumphantly, lifting it up for the world to see.

 

It was a Pai Sho tile – the Lotus Tile. But it’s style differed from the rest. While the rest of them had. Flowing design, placed by a professional hand, this one was crude and an obvious replacement. In rushed words. Zuko explained. “These people helped Uncle and I get into the city. Uncle notified that he was with them with this odd game of Pai Sho. Their symbol was the lotus. And he would always carry this crafted lotus tile around – it was gilded edged, all fancy and everything. But he would only use that tile. With certain people – other times he would this one.” He held out the crude tile again. “The person who helped Jet and I escape had a lotus tile, and the craving on the wall, signifying where the tunnel used to be, had a lotus on it as well.”

 

“So?” Jet prompted, curious and not unkind.

 

“So, have you ever heard the rumors of the Order of the White Lotus?”

 

There was a gasp as people took in all the information. The Order of the White Lotus had once been something told in tales of the time during the civil war that had ravaged the Earth Kingdom many hundreds of years ago. They had been fierce warriors and wise scholars, drawing from all nations to refine their skills and share their talents. Members were often said to have helped the Avatar in times of need – but of course those were all just tales told by drunken men. A order like that truly didn’t exist – it was just a way of trying to hold on to hope. Even if rumors did say that certain members of the world (Jeong Jeong, Piandao, Bumi, among. Others) were among the White Lotus’s ranks today – if they existed at all.

 

But now- Zuko thought he had proof.

 

“Your saying-“ Smellerbee’s eyes were wide.

 

“They’re real? Yes. And I think my Uncle will know how to contact them.” In the corner of Zuko’s eyes, he noticed Jet frowning. “What?” He directed at him.

 

“Nothing just… do you think your uncle would want you chasing after him? Don’t you think he would have left a clue or something for you to find the White Lotus on your own?”

 

Zuko’s heart crumbled pitifully. Uncle… Uncle was like that. Always pushing Zuko out of danger and trying to keep him levelheaded. Breaking into a Fire Nation Prison would be easy (He had done it before, even to places only accessible by Earth Bending) but was it worth the attention?

 

Part of him screamed yes (he had already abandoned his family, honor, and country, how could he abandon _Uncle?)_  but the part influenced by Uncle told him without question _no._

There was another way.

 

“That would be like Uncle…” He admitted allowed, regret lacing his tone. Immediately a hand was over his.

 

“We’ll get him out. We just have to be smart about it.  But now that we know the Order actually exists…” Jet trailed off.

 

“We can get help.” Smellerbee smiled as the plans Zuko knew the trio had talked about in the past started to have a solid foundation. “We can win this thing.”

 

Longshot tapped her shoulder. A silent conversation ensued between them in the breaths of only a few moments, and then Smellerbee sighed. “But we need sleep first.” They all looked at the quickly setting sun.

 

Jet nodded “Let’s set up camp, we’ll decide on our next destination in the morning. Now,” het let go of Zuko and clapped his hands together. “Whose taking first watch?”

 

-

 

Jet and Zuko (Well, really Zuko with Jet keeping him country before his own watch next,) were the first watch.

 

Zuko enjoyed the silence in the woods. On the ship during his exile, he had always liked taking the night watch (even a prince did work aboard a ship). The silence allowed him to calm his thoughts and work out what the hell he had done wrong (Which never truly succeeded)

 

In the city, there had never really been _quiet_. It was only when he had sparred with Jet, or sat on top of abandoned rooftops, or snuck into Dai Li headquarters that the rest of the world seemed to grow muted and absent.

 

Here, in the forest, the leaves rustled like waves against the hull of a metal ship, and the weight of an arm across his shoulders with blades across two pairs of legs felt like familiar black and red armor.

 

He relaxed, and voiced his fears to Jet, knowing that Smellerbee and Longshot, if they were awake, would ignore the conversation if they heard it.

 

“My father wants me dead.”

 

“… Yeah.” Spirits. Zuko didn’t know what to feel about the concerned but unsurprised tone in Jet’s voice.

 

“So, does my sister. And the entire nation. And the rest of the world.”

 

“I don’t.”

 

Zuko had to crack a smile at that. “Yeah. You don’t.”

 

“And you’re not going to die.  I won’t allow you.”

 

“Mm?”

 

“And if you do I’ll pull one of those spirit warrior moves and drag you out of the Spirit World to kick your ass.”

 

“Just don’t look back.”

“You would probably sneak ahead of me anyway,” There was a pressure atop Zuko’s head as Jet pressed a kiss on him, accompanying Zuko’s light chuckles. The two fell into a comfortable silence before Jet spoke again.

 

“We’ll get him back. And I’m going to kick the Fire Lord’s ass” Not his father, the _Fire Lord._ Jet said it as if the two were different, but Zuko knew Jet’s hatred for both was equal. “for all this to you and to the world.”

 

“And then what?” Zuko hummed, looking around the clearing for any disturbances.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“What will you do after the war?”

 

The answer was immediate. “Be with you. I don’t know where it’ll be but it’ll be with you.”

 

Zuko turned his head to look up at Jet’s earnest eyes. “Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

Zuko felt a grin crawl onto his face, and lent forward to brush a gentle kiss onto Jet’s lips., avoiding the ever-present wheat straw.  Kisses were rare between them- something intimate shared for softer moments; tactile comfort was for anything else. But each time they did kiss was filled with, well, Zuko didn’t want to say it yet, but he knew Jet felt the same.

 

Sitting in a clear grove beneath the trees with a calloused arm around his shoulders, and, Zuko finally felt like he could _breathe._ His uncle may be captured, his family and the world might want him dead, and he had no bed to rest on and no sureness of the future.

 

But for the first time, Zuko thought he had a pretty good chance at coming out on top.

 

(And maybe, this time, everyone he cares for will come out on top as well.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, What did you think? I welcome any suggestions and corrections! I'm mostly happy with the chapter, and I think I will take some time to make corrections to the last chapter before I continue (action scenes... not my strong point...)
> 
> A quick note too - the spirit warriors Jet referenced are a reference to a greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice - look it up! It's pretty cool. It doesn't exactly fit with the more eastern culture of Avatar but I couldn't resist, I've been on a Myth kick recently.
> 
> Also - what would you guys think if I started a writing blog on Tumblr? I think that having something like that might get me to write more and keep more engaged on projects, but I want to know what you think! Original and fan works would be posted as well with request accessions.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! Your kudos/comments/ whatever mean the world to me!  
> ~Whirly


	10. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait... here's 6000+ words to make up for it?
> 
> Edit: 6/16/20 - Took chapter down and reposted it to fix formatting!

Jet had thought starting up a revolution would be easy – he had done it before in the forest, hadn’t he?

 

Apparently, Jet didn’t work well on large scale operations. According to Zuko he had the organization skills of a hedgeturtle. He had to organize food routes? Communication routes? Transportation in general? Ensure that all the people he needed to battle were in place?

 

In hindsight these things were pretty obvious…

 

Thank the Spirits Zuko knew what he was doing. If not, Jet was sure the fragile alliances they had would have burned to the ground by now, thanks to the lack of foresight on Jet’s part.

 

It had been a month since the escape from Ba Sing Se. A month of running, finding allies, going through pure hell as they traveled, watching in simmering tension as Zuko looked through classified Fire Nation codes for any mission of his Uncle ( _lost because of their own weaknesses – hell if Jet was going to stand for that._ )

 

A month of searching for Lotus troops and supporters and coming up with nothing but dust and Pai Sho tiles.

 

Spirits. Jet was ready to bash his head in. But at least Zuko knew what to do, what to tell Jet to do.

 

And it hadn’t all been hopeless – after all they did have _some_ allies though their numbers were small.

 

The first pebbles of their soon to be mountain of a revolution had been the reunion of several freedom fighters (The Duke and Pipsqueak and more – thank the Spirits they had been doing okay) on the outskirts of Sakura village. Apparently, they too had been searching for a way to fight back against the ever-marching forward Fire Nation Troops.  And they were willing to help seek out recruits.

 

And slowly, those recruits had come trickling in like rain; slowly but surely.

 

A couple of traveling swordsmen from the west, searching for ways to further their skill, troops who had lost their commanders and were searching for revenge, commoners who had welcomed fleeing relatives from Fire Nation controlled villages and now wanted their land back… and most surprisingly, Fire Nation Deserters.

 

(And oh, didn’t that fuel the hating flames stoked inside Jet for the Fire Nation, flames that had been cooled to embers by a wonderful old woman and the Prince of the Fire Nation himself. What kind of nation would just betray itself like that? Without remorse?

 

(A nation, murmured the truth within Jet, that has a psychopath for a ruler and an heir, and a history of genocide behind it.))

 

They had been the only ones in their little revolution that Zuko had revealed his true identity to.

 

(The hope in their eyes, that the former crown prince was on their side, disgraced as he may be, was impossible to fake, and destroyed any doubts Jet had for their loyalties.)

 

To each, Zuko gave the same instruction. Meet at the Western Air Temple in one and a half months’ time and bring any allies and supplies you could. While traveling, free any towns possible, and urge them to the Revolution.

 

There, they would regroup and organize the downfall of the Fire Nation, starting with the coastal villages of the west.

 

(If the Fire Nation cannot land, they cannot fight.)

 

The rough plan Zuko and Jet had drawn out was simple. Gather allies and spread the word while moving East and keeping out of enemy hands. Then, organize at the Western Air Temple and move back out over the land the Fire Nation had captured, starting at the coast, in a sweeping motion. Instill the desire to fight in the civilians, collect more allies, and move on to the farming cities (and try not to die in the process). The final target would be Ba Sing Se – taking it back would be a blow to the Fire nation and a great moral boost to the rest of the world.

 

By then, hopefully someone would have assassinated the Fire Lord.

 

(And if the White Lotus wouldn’t help them do it, then they would do it themselves. They didn’t have any choice.)

 

But for now, Jet would just keep thunking his head not-so-gently on the tree next to him as Zuko masterfully worked out the frame work of a revolution next to him, muttering on and on about the best trade routes and what not as he scribbled on stolen parchment.

 

Jet might not be able to understand but hell if he wasn’t willing to try.

 

They had a world to save.

 

-

 

Jet was sick of ostrich horses. The amount of disdain he held for them was about the same amount he held for planning a revolution. Necessary but horrible

 

They were annoying, hungry, loud beasts that were the only feasible form of transport and absolutely needed if they wanted to carry all the food and supplies the group needed but, in all honesty, Jet just wanted off the saddle digging into his butt and a nice. _Long_. Rest.

 

Was that so much to ask?

 

Yes.

 

Yes it was.

 

Jet sighed for the probably thousandth time that day, letting his shoulder’s slump and his grip on the reins slacken. How long had they been traveling along this dusty dirt path?

 

They had entered the Mafan mountains, along the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, one day ago after leaving the wide expanse of fertile farmland around Ba Sing Se.  They had agreed that while travel would be harder it. Would be easier to avoid enemy troops by going through the mountains. Hopefully there would be some rebel outposts as well, some people they could persuade to their side.

 

Now, however, all he could think about was the bumpy ride of the ostrich horse. Hell didn’t hold a torch to this insufferable torture.

 

The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the beautiful mountain scenery, and, over the steep cliff the path traveled by, Jet wished he could appreciate the view.

 

But, if the sun was nearing the horizon, it had been awhile since he had asked if they could stop. He could ask again… right?

 

He opened his mouth, the start of a sentence on his tongue, but Smellerbee stopped it before it could even begin.

 

“No, Jet, we cannot stop yet. We are not there yet, nor will we be until a little after nightfall., And Yes, you did ask us this five minutes ago.”

 

Jet slouched further, wishing he had a pillow to rest on. Maybe tomorrow he would ride with Zuko? That way he could rest his head on Zuko’s back and sleep instead of paying attention to the _stupid, Spirit’s forsaken ostrich horse_ ride.

 

Sigh.

 

At least everyone else was in the same situation as him – slouching, grumpy, and in pain.

Yay. Solidarity.

 

Except for Zuko, that is. He was sitting up attentive as ever – wait, no. When Jet gave him more than a passing glance, he could see the stress and tension in the other’s shoulders, just as they were more evident in the rest of them.

 

He was just hiding it better.

 

_Ugh. Zu. Why._

_He didn’t have to hide it, so why was he?_ _Some Fire Nation training thing?_ Jet mused as they traveled on, searching for anything to get his mind off the jerky pace of the tired ostrich horse. _It would make sense for a commander to always appear strong and unbothered…_

The ostrich horse jerked again.

 

Jet was so _done_ with today.

 

-

 

At last, two agonizing hours later and under the cool gaze of the stars, they stopped at a rocky outlook.

 

“ _Finally._ ” Jet breathed in pure joy, all but collapsing from his mount and into a tired slump on the ground. The rest seemed to agree with him as they did the same, even Zuko.

 

He was ready to sink into a nice, blissful sleep when –

 

“Whoever has first watch gets to tie up the ostrich horses.”

 

 _He_ had first watch.

 

_Fu-_

 

-

 

Nighttime was surprisingly peaceful, if tiresome. The mountain view was serene, and the moon overhead was full and bright, making it easier to spot potential threats.

 

 _Heh,_ Jet thought, cleaning his blade, _as if there would be. There’s no purpose going over these mountains unless you are trying to die or go discreetly to the west coast._

 

The wind bowed harshly, and Jet shivered against it, the piece of straw in his mouth threatening to blow away. “Ugh.”

 

It was peaceful, but cold. And a fire could signify to any enemy (once again, what enemies?) where they were, so he couldn’t start one. And he had watch, so he couldn’t burrow under the blankets with Zuko.

 

Jet’s eye’s drooped, and he shook himself.

 

_Focus._

 

And the peaceful air of the cold night was interrupted by the shivering pitter-patter of bare feet behind him.

 

“Hello?” Jet stood and turned, hand on his blades as he prepared to attack any enemy. What he saw made his hairs stand on end.

 

Before him was an old woman, clothed in a worn, dirtied green robes with a wooden walking stick held in both of her gnarled hands. Her feet were dirtied and bare, and her silver hair was ragged and unkempt underneath the ratty straw hat atop her head. The elderly woman’s face was hideously wrinkled and carried a sense of ominousness with it.

 

“Hello.” The woman said simply. “What are you children doing out here? Wouldn’t you rather be inside? I have a home a little way down the road.”

 

Jet grimaced, though the thought was tempting. How had this woman snuck up on him. “No thank you. We’re fine here.”

 

“But you look so cold.”

 

“We’re fine.” _Why the hell are my instincts screaming?_ “Thank you for your hospitality.”

 

“Hmm. Are you sure? Absolutely sure?  I have a warm dish waiting at home…”

 

“We are fine here ma’am.” He had to fight the urge to draw his swords as she stepped ever closer, her long toenails digging into the soft dirt of the mountain road. Who was she?

 

_Something isn’t right._

 

“Someone needs to shelter you from the coming storm, boy.” _Hell- When did she get so close? You can see the whites of her eyes –_

No.

 

No you couldn’t.

 

The woman was right on top of him, looking up with a peering grin a mere two inches away and you could not see the whites of her eyes.

 

_Because she didn’t have any._

“Spirit,” He gasped, this time as a name rather than an expression, stumbling backward in shock. His mind flashed with visions of glowing lantern eyes, warnings, (it attacked _him_ specifically), and drinks of sake shared with another scarred teen. The rumbling spirit of the Avatar, falling from grace from a lightning strike in the back by a mad heir, over took his mind.

 

This woman was a _spirit._ A _demon._

And she was _here._

She grinned at his words and, in an agonizingly slow motion, took the straw hat off her head, revealing two gleaming horns, red as a new born baby’s blood.

 

“A smart one, aren’t you?” Her – it’s? -  voice had changed from the elderly womanly voice from before. Now, it was like snakes-beetles crawling over a battle strewn corpse, crawling and slithering – absolutely _wrong_ and _inhuman._

 

It took all of his strength not to attack. Instead he asked “What do you want?”

 

“A snack.” Not comforting. Oh Hell. “But I suppose a conversation will do now. I can always eat the next travelers that come along.”

 

The spirit sat down and gestured for him to do the same. He followed, wondering when he his life had reached this point.

 

But he wasn’t _stupid._ He drew out his blades as he sat on the rock he had been keeping watch on, and settled them across his lap.   
  


The woman disguised spirit just smirked at the motion, craggy lips folding like a mimic of human life. “Best to be protected, when you are traveling with one who steals the face of the Spirit of the Stolen Deaths.”

 

Jet froze.

 

_Zuko._

 

“What do you _want_?” He asked again, this time more forcefully, his blade finally pointed at the enemy. His instincts were screaming in his head, and even though all the tales before had told him never to attack a spirit (they were not of this world, could not be hurt by mortal weapons but they could most definitely hurt _you-)_ he wanted nothing more than to drive his swords through the dark heart of the spirit who would dare threaten what he cared about.

 

“Easy, boy.” The shadows of the night made her face seem even more sinister. “I mean no harm. The Spirit of the Stolen Deaths has pride in his apprentice -he cannot wait to see what the boy will steal next. A stronghold, a country, a throne? Or perhaps something greater?”

 

The… The Blue Spirit was … was proud of Zuko?  Of the one who _stole_ his face?

 

“That doesn’t answer the question.” Terror coursed through Jet. Here was a spirit, spouting strange words about his boyfriend, and _hell_ , he didn’t even have a clue what the spirit truly wanted. “If you wanted a snack you would have attacked by now.”

 

The spirit only cackled in response. “True, boy. That was not my true intention – or at least, it isn’t now.” Gnarled hands placed the straw hat back on raggedy hair, covering the telling red horns. “I come with a message. Flowers cannot grow where there is mistrust – rely on it for poison and you will drink it instead.” The wind picked up, rushing round and round and round. “Remember, warrior, that your blade is your own, and ours is pledged to yours. Be not afraid, and strike true.”

 

The mountaintop went silent – and the old woman like spirit was gone, leaving Jet feeling alone and frightened in the depths of the night, shivering from the cold and terror.

 

 

 

-

 

He didn’t wake Longshot up for the next watch. He was too paranoid – what if the Spirit came back? What if she threatened them? He couldn’t protect them if he was asleep.

 

Instead he stayed up, all night long, weariness from the trip forgotten and eyes bloodshot in his worry.

 

Zuko freaked when he founded him sitting with his swords crossed upon his lap, staring at the world around him dimly.

 

“..et? Jet?” A hand shook his shoulder and Jet startled into awareness, instincts the only thing from keeping him from lashing out at the warm presence next to him.

 

“Wha-? Who’s there?” Jet mumbled in his sleepy haze.

 

“It’s me, Jet. Zuko.” Things were becoming a bit clearer now… he sounded pissed. With an undercurrent of concern?

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah. Oh. What happened? Why’d you stay up all night?”

 

“Mhmmm, a spirit was here. Last night. Told me about poison flowers n’stuff.” Nope – everything was still in a sleepy haze.

 

Had the atmosphere changed? Everyone else was frozen – like they had heard some terrible news.

 

(Jet, in the recesses of his mind, noted that he had to work on his endurance in not sleeping again. Before, he could last half a week before succumbing to the need to rest. The city – and all its proclaimed safety, had made him week.

 

Besides – he thought he had an excuse. Scary spirits in the middle of the night threatening your boyfriend and friends make your brain go on high alert at every shadow, on a windy mountain.

 

Not exactly _ideal_.)

 

“…aybe the spirit did something. Jet? What else did the spirit say? What did it look like?”

 

The voice talking to him was nice – all warm and crackly, just how Zuko sounded like.

 

“Spirit was an old lady – an ugly one with red horns and a dirty straw hat and robes – and no shoes! Who doesn’t wear shoes on a … a mountain!”

 

A swear sounded next to his ear. “A yamauba. Jet, did the lady invite you inside anywhere?”

 

“Yeah. But I knew her tricks – I said no! Wasn’t going to let her take you guys anywhere. I love you guys. Can’t let that happen. Gotta protect …mmhmm.” His words trailed off into a mumbling haze

 

“Good job, Jet. You can sleep now though – we know of the danger. You protected us. Now sleep.”

 

Jet closed his eyes, welcoming inky blackness. But it wasn’t till he was positioned on what he thought was an ostrich horse, with a warm, fire-blooded body in front of him in the perfect position to cuddle into, did he fall asleep.

 

-

 

“I was what?!” Jet half-screeched as the group gathered around their supplies for a midday meal.

 

“High as a kite. Acting like one at least. You heard me.” Smellerbee punched his shoulder, and he scrambled to move so that his meal wouldn’t fall out of his hands.

 

After a brief respite of laughter at his antics, Longshot spoke. “What did happen with that spirit?”

 

Immediately, the attitude in the room sobered.

 

“Well…” Jet quickly recounted his strange encounter with the women, trying to say verbatim what she had said to him.

 

It wasn’t a hard task. Spirit encounters tended to stick with you.

 

In the end, the others were staring at him in shock, with Zuko nodding in affirmation. 

 

“So it was a yamauba.”

 

“A what?”

 

“A yamauba. The tales say they were once women chased into the wilderness because of crimes or famine in their village, and then corrupted by their hate and transformed into monstrous beings. They then find homes by roadsides, and invite travelers into their homes, and offer shelter, sleep and food. When the guests fall asleep… the spirit eats them.” Zuko explained as if he was reading from a text book

 

_What do you want?_

_A snack._

Jet shivered as Smellerbee cut off Zuko.  “She tried to do that -  but then she didn’t. What does that mean?”

 

The firebender’s golden eyes darkened. “Something greater is at play – and we might not like the results.”

 

Jet bit down on the wheat straw in his mouth. “What I want to know, is who she was sending the message for. Another spirit? A human? Priest? And why didn’t she begin with the message?”

 

“And what does the message mean?” Smellerbee asked, just as angry and confused as Jet.

 

“Flowers cannot grow where there is mistrust – rely on it for poison and you will drink it instead.” Zuko recited “It’s a message about betrayal, and warning us against mistrust?”

 

“How’d you figure that?” Jet raised an eyebrow.

 

“Poison – typical way of murder in court and other noble places, as it can be played off as some illness instead of poison. You use this when you are working with someone who trusts you, as you need to be close enough to slip it into their food.” He took a breath and furrowed his brow in thought. “The mistrust is… less obvious. Something clearly has to do with it, as it is mentioned by name, but I don’t know what, but it’s clearly bad.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Have you ever gotten anything from a spirit that _didn’t_ come with a price?”

 

 _Oh._ “Good point.”

 

There was a pause as the group looked down at their empty plates, contemplating the strange message of the spirit.

 

“What about all the stuff about the Blue Spirit? What did that have to do with anything?” Smellerbee finally asked as they all began to clean up their area.

 

 _Did they not-ohhhh. They still don’t know._  “Zuko’s the Blue Spirit.”

 

If the girl had been drinking, she would have done a spit take. Instead, she spluttered and stared in shock as Zuko gave Jet a dry look. Long Shot looked on in the same deadpan look he always had. Typical.

 

“He’s _what?”_

“The Blue Spirit.”

 

She turned to Zuko. “You’re what?”

 

“What he said.”

 

She made a bunch of gargling noise, hands tearing at her hair as she thought about the implications of the fact, just as Jet had the first time he saw the wanted poster, and the first time he figured out was Zuko was.

 

However… her hands slowly lowered from her head and a devilish smile crossed her face. “You mean the same Blue Spirit on the poster that hung above your bed for two weeks straight a few months ago until the younger kids pointed it out and you ripped it down – but everyone knew you just put it in your drawer instead?”

 

Jet’s ears turned bright red as Zuko laughed by his side. “Shut up!”

 

-

 

They exited the mountains seven days later, after several near misses with avalanches, wild animals, and misleading paths, as well as paranoia filled nights as everyone awaited the appearance of spirits dressed as old women.

 

Safe to say, when they finally exited the mountains, they were all relieved, and Zuko made the decision for all of them that they would camp at the base of the mountains for two days before moving odd.

 

It was a good break – _if only someone could enjoy it._

 

Jet could practically hear Zuko’s thoughts as they turned over and over in his brain.

_Where was the White Lotus? Did they have enough food to make it to their next destination? Were their allies able to reach the Western Air Temple? What was the meaning behind the message that that spirit brought? What about Uncle? What If-_

It was spelled out all over his face – all his worries and frustrations, written out in the furrow of his brow and the focused glare of his eyes.

 

Jet, though worried as well, would not stand for it.

 

(Zuko had gotten like this, sometimes, in Ba Sing Se, with the same look on his face. Jet rarely had a clue what caused it – now he knows it was rumors from the Fire Nation, thoughts from the past, and whispers of the Avatar’s movements; nasty things.

 

Then, he would bring Zuko up to a rooftop where they would lay back in silence, hands intertwined (or, before they were actually together, just side by side) and watch the stars at night or the bustling streets in the day.

 

It was a peaceful time.

 

Now, he has a better idea on how to solve this aggravated look.)

 

So, in one fluid movement, he got up and sat on Zuko’s left, brushing his shoulder with a practiced ease.

 

(He had learned, through careful observation, that having a trusted ally on Zuko’s impaired side, like his Uncle (or Jet), greatly eased the tension in Zuko’s shoulders)

 

“Hey,” He said in the quiet around their campfire.

 

Zuko _hmphed_ in response, but at least it was an acknowledgment that Jet existed. Jet took it as permission to ease the dao hilts from Zuko’s hands and place them off to the side (Still within easy reach – one never knows when someone is about to attack). He then, in the place of the blades, slipped his own hands into Zuko’s, and placed a soft kiss on his scar.

 

“It’s going to be alright. We’ll figure it out somehow.”

 

Zuko clenched his hands tighter, and Jet squeezed right back with a gentle smile on his face, which only fell when Zuko’s expression didn’t change.

 

Keeping his words soft, he asked “What’s wrong?” _What of the million things wrong in our lives is bothering you now?_

 

Zuko finally shifted his eyes to meet Jet’s, pale dragon eyes (that never, ever ceased to amaze Jet) boring into his soul with the angry frustration of a thousand dying suns. “The spirit’s message. It’s either a dirty trick or a nasty warning.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It talks about flowers, Jet. What organization do we know has to do with flowers?” The trepidation in the fire bender’s voice was tangible never.

 

 _Hell._ “The White Lotus.”

 

Zuko nodded. “Something bad is going to happen to them – and like it or not we will be caught up in the waves of that event.”

 

Jet quieted for a moment, turning the implications of that over and over in his brain before finally deciding on a response. “Well – who cares?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Who cares? It’s either going to happen or it isn’t. The best we can do is do what we always do – be paranoid for every possible horrendous outcome that’s going to come from this. And _then_ we stop it.” He grinned, determined and rebellious. “Fate doesn’t seem to have to tight a hold on us, does it?”

 

At that, Zuko eyes finally brightened with that absurd determination of his. “No. No it doesn’t.” He leaned further into Jet, rubbing his thumbs along the back of Jet’s hand. “It never did. Thanks. I’m still going to be paranoid though.”

 

Jet pressed another soft kiss to his forehead, lips gentle against the dark hair that grew ever longer and (surprisingly) softer. “Wouldn’t expect any less from you.” Then he thought of thought that made him absolutely glow. “Besides – the Blue Spirit’s apparently proud of you now. Can’t wait to see what you do next.”

 

Zuko huffed out a laugh and finally relaxed near completely. “I told you – legends of the Blue Spirit are different in the Fire Nation. I’m Fire Nation. Of course he is.”

 

Jet only raised a brow skeptically. “If you say so. But where are you going to break into next, oh apprentice of the Blue Spirit?”

 

“White Lotus headquarters, hopefully.”

 

Sometimes, Jet wished he could tell when his boyfriend was being sarcastic. Other times he was glad he didn’t – made it more fun that way.

 

Now? He was terrified, because as dryly as Zuko said it, he was dead serious.

 

(Jet had no doubt that he could do it, and in fact, Jet himself was ridiculously excited for it.)

 

The terror was washed away in an instant, however, when Jet tossed his head back and laughed loud and proud, removing his hands from Zuko’s after a soft squeeze. “I can’t wait.”

 

Zuko smiled back.

 

There. Mission accomplished. Boyfriend happy, worries forgotten (hopefully for good, but Jet knew they weren’t that lucky (at all)), and a good laugh mixed in. “I’ll go grab the cleaning kit and we can clean up the blades before bed.”

 

“Sure.” Zuko agreed.

 

But before Jet turned to get the supplies he had to know. “Do you still have all those blades?”

 

In response, Zuko slipped a blade from the loose earthy brown robes that he had worn in Ba Sing Se. “Yeah.”

“Wow. I’ll get more oil then.”

 

“Good idea.”

 

-

 

Only a few miles from the campsite did they find their first town since the mountains. It was small, run down, and had the happy addition of two soon to be familiar faces.

 

“Are you from the Jasmine Dragon?” The smooth, deep voice came from Jet’s left.

 

“Only if you are willing to drink.” Jet responded instantly, the little code the group had thought of flying from his mouth with ease as he turned to look at the person who spoke - or rather, persons.

 

Before him, standing in the dusty village, were two aged men, rippling with strength.

 

One was obviously a skilled earth bender, his loose dark green pants cuffing at the ankles and revealing bare, hardened feet (only those who felt truly connected with their element – the most powerful benders, kept their feet bare to the rough ground (or that’s what he had been taught, at least)) and his no-sleeve dark tunic revealing muscle that could only come from smashing rocks. He wore two strong arm bracers, presumably for the large meteor hammer he had strapped to his back. His dark, graying hair was tied in a simple topknot, and his eyes revealed an intensity hidden behind his weathered, tan face.

 

A dangerous man.

 

The other, shorter man was just as dangerous. He, unlike his partner, wore longer robes and simple shoes, all in shades of green and brown (yet with a confusing gleam of gold). His pale arms were covered, but his kind face didn’t distract Jet from the faint outline of daggers in his sleeve. The three-section staff, strapped to his sash, did not help manners. He wore his hair in the same manner as his partner, gray hairs just the same, and seemed to be the one who had spoken for he was opening his mouth again.

 

“We had heard that we could find you here.”

 

“By who?” Jet questioned.

 

“Your friends – The Duke, I believe, and his larger friend.”

 

“They doing okay?”

 

“It seemed that way.” That was a relief – Jet could practically feel some of his tension slipping away at those words. He mentally shook himself thought - He could inquire more later, now there was business to attend too

 

“The name’s Jet. Come with me.” He gestured flippantly and turned on his heel, heading to the back of the building where they had hitched their ostrich horses.

 

There, he found Zuko, sipping on some soup and water as he watched their stuff while the others got supplies. (Despite the fact that his clothing was less conspicuous than theirs, his face was widely known, and with the scar, drew attention even if it wasn’t – it was a miracle that it hadn’t tripped them up so far (even if Jet felt tiny slivers of guilt for thinking like that))

 

“Li,” He started, using the name that everyone in their little revolution knew him by. It immediately put Zuko on the alert, his eyes flashing with tension. “We got some guests by for tea.”

 

‘Li’ set his bowl down and stood gracefully, bowing slightly to acknowledge the visitors. “Hello. Who might you be?”

 

The bigger of the two snorted, muttering something along the lines of child leaders, but his friend pressed on. “Greetings. My name is Zhi, and this is my partner, Daichi. We heard about your plan, and wish to join.”

 

Jet took up a position by the one opening in the back alley, listening for any threats as Zuko dealt with the newcomers. He didn’t have to look to know that Zuko was eyeing them over critically.

 

“Where do you hail from? What is your purpose?”

 

Zhi narrowed his eyes. Why? “I come from the ravaged town of Rosuto in the northern Earth Kingdom. I was formerly a shaman before the spirits forsook us and we were left to the mercy of cut-throat bandits. Now, I wish to do what the spirits could not, and help the people of this world.”

 

Jet could immediately tell that Zuko liked this guy, even if he was still wary. They had similar thoughts – who needs spirits?

 

Daichi spoke for the first time next, his voice deep and rumbling like water over boulders. “I just want to fight. Fire Nation took all the good fighters on every side – they’re all wrapped up in the war instead of honing their skills. I want that over with.”

 

Simple, and to the point. (But why did he not mention his home town?)

 

Zuko didn’t push it. Instead he asked one question. “Can you fight?”

 

The resounding, devilish grins were all the answers he needed.

 

-

 

Zhi and Daichi traveled with them to the next village, as Zuko hunted down every bit of information he could from them, such as latest Fire Nation movements, word from Ba Sing Se, plans for the future, how the rest of the revolution was looking, etc.

 

In the end, they learned that the rest of the world was slowly losing hope. That Ba Sing Se’s walls had completely fallen and that Azula was well cemented as the ruling power of the city. That few even knew that the White Lotus existed.

 

Yet.

 

They knew that the revolution _did_ exist _._ That while hope in the Avatar was diminishing, (A hundred years with no sign, and then he shows back up as a child and then _dies-_ who could hope in that?) hope in the ragtag force that Zuko and Jet were mustering was growing ever stronger.

 

It was an _exhilarating_ feeling.

 

Even more so was the reason the two warriors had come to them first, instead of just heading to the Western Air Temple as instructed.

 

 _We wanted to see the leaders of this ourselves. To know that they had the conviction to lead and conquer and let the people go when all was done_ , Zhi had said in measured tones. _We found that within you, and we will tell all that we meet the same._

 

More warriors of their caliber? _That_ was something Jet could get behind.

 

They needed fighters. They had soldiers, deserters, swordsmen, commoners - still, they needed _more_ if they had any hope of making this work. And hearing that more people were gathering, out of their sight but with their goal in mind?

 

Well. Jet was beginning to think he could lead this revolution thing.

 

 _Especially_ with the gift the warriors had given to them.

 

“My father was a messenger hawk breeder.” Daichi had explained tersely when they saw the large wagon that stored the duos belongings – and a multitude of hawks. Jet had been surprised – he was Fire Nation? (Looking closer, he noticed the golden glint to his eyes buried under bushy eyebrows. Half Fire Nation. And still an Earth bender?) “This is all that is left of his business. But these hawks will blend in with Fire Nation communications – perfect for discreet communications.”

 

Zuko had raised an eyebrow in tandem with Jet as they looked on at the two, waiting for an explanation.

 

“This is Xinshi. She is our swiftest hawk – and our gift to you. She is a partial Raven Hawk, and a well-trained messenger, so she can defend from any attacks to herself and attack other hawks for information as well. Perfect for the heads of a revolution.” Zhi had brought out a shimmering hawk and an arm brace, accompanied by a small tube for messengers. “This way you do not have to rely on aging warriors for your information.” He had grinned and laughed at their faces. “No need for thanks – if we want this to work, it needs to be secure. We will give a hawk to each group we meet so you can effectively travel faster and still keep up with the rest of your plan.”

 

“Thank you,” Jet had said bypassing their words.

 

And that had been that.

 

Now, sitting with Xinshi on one arm, and an intercepted Fire Nation report in the other (nothing much, just updated supply routes. Jet wondered if he could organize some attacks on the troops with their allies) one day after the two warriors had left, Jet felt the pressure of the world on his head.

 

This was a large-scale attack, and they still didn’t have all the materials that they needed. And they were on a time limit. Half a month to go before they would meet up at the Western Air Temple, and a little more than that was the arrival of Sozin’s Comet. (He still shuddered when he thought of the power a master Firebender (like the _Fire Lord)_ could wield with that thing. It was _scary.)_

 

He wished they had the backing of the White Lotus.

 

But they didn’t – not yet.

 

(At least they had the spirits…?)

 

 _Whatever_ , Jet huffed, feeding Xinshi another piece of meat before they would send her off on her first mission – to deliver a message to The Duke and Pipsqueak about what had been going on. _We can do this. We have to._

The Avatar’s gone, he’s sixteen and leading a revolution with his boyfriend. The world was already weird – he could make the impossible happen.

 

All he had to do was _try._

 

-

 

Two days after Zhi and Daichi had left, they _finally_ had the lead they were looking for on the White Lotus.

 

A single carving of a white lotus blossom on a stone in the countryside – new, unblemished and exactly like the one on the wall in Ba Sing Se.

 

The stone was large and seemingly out of place, if not for the fact that they were in the middle of the Earth Kingdom, and earthbenders came in large amounts, and practiced wherever thye could.

 

(Often, in Ba Sing Se, Jet could feel the envy in Zuko’s eyes at benders connecting with their element with pride and joy, while the most he could do was breath with candles and spark small flames with crossed swords in the dark.)

 

The perfect clue – but for what?

 

The group tried pushing it, cutting it, tracing it, anything but to no avail.

 

“Must be an earthbender door.” Zuko finally commented. The others sighed and agreed.

 

As they were packing up their stuff, Jet took one last look at the lotus carving – and noticed something strange.

 

The lotus, expertly carved, had one flaw – the flower petals were all tilted in one direction, as were the details in the middle.

 

_Could it be…?_

“Guys,” Jet called out, hope thrumming in his veins. “I think I have a lead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Welcome back and sorry for the wait. I was focused on other projects for a bit, had bit of writers block, plain old procrastination... well you know the drill. (Also One Piece - can't forget about that absolutely masterful piece of work and world building)
> 
> I think I like this chapter! I tried to focus on the struggles they had in their journey and trying to start a revolution, as well as further plot points. Don't exactly know if I succeeded - let me know what you think!
> 
> Zhi and Daichi are, in part, based on Chirrut Imwe and Baze from Rogue One. And their weapons are real weapons! Look them up! They are pretty cool to see in use.
> 
> The Yamauba is a real spirit, if slightly changed for this myth. They are how Zuko described them, but look them up for more!
> 
> Anyway, as always, if you see any corrections/mistakes or have any suggestions let me know! I always want to learn more about writing, and my grammar isn't always the best. 
> 
> (And once again, I probably need to add more Jetko to my Jetko story.... oops.)
> 
> If you want to talk more, I have a Tumblr now! Catch me at [whirlybirdwrites!](https://whirlybirdwrites.tumblr.com) I have some one piece stuff up now, but I hope to post more drabbles for other fandoms soon! I will also probably be posting chapter progression updates there as well, so check it out!
> 
> Thank you guys for reading, and just being awesome in general! It means a lot!
> 
> Thanks again,  
> -Whirly

**Author's Note:**

> I have had this idea in my head for awhile now, and I am very glad to have finally written it down.  
> I may continue it as well, I have a couple of ideas
> 
> As always, please tell me any mistakes I have made! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> -Whirly

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [City of Prisoners](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15901962) by [Hannahmayski](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hannahmayski/pseuds/Hannahmayski)




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